On Shavuot, many of us stay up all night studying Torah, partake in cheesecake, and, if blessed to live in Jerusalem, gather for early morning prayers at the Western Wall.
However, more important than these rituals we partake in are the ideas we hear in the readings of the day: The Torah reading describes the monumental event of God giving the foundational laws amid streaks of lightning and the sounds of thunder and shofar blasts at Mount Sinai, where, according to Jewish tradition, the souls of every Jew – past, present, and future – gathered. The Book of Ruth describes one woman’s choice to join Am Israel and the manner in which her mother-in-law, Naomi, supported her decision, and then the acts of kindness by Ruth to her mother-in-law.
These ideas, that every single Jew was included in the events of Mount Sinai and the kindness that Naomi and Ruth showed each other, should be the guiding principles of all Jewish leaders, especially in these difficult days for our people.
'Judaism: A love story'
It is inclusion and love, more than anything else, that will help guarantee the future of the Jewish people. As Rabbi Shlomo Riskin writes in his latest book, Judaism: A Love Story, “We must remember that our most impelling command is to hand over our tradition of freedom and equality for every individual in a world of compassionate righteousness, moral justice, and universal love to the next generation.”
When Judaism is practiced and taught with love, it is more meaningful, Rabbi Riskin goes on to write, describing how this passion is often seen most powerfully in those new to Judaism or its practice, including converts, young people who decide to embrace observance, and those adults who discover their Jewish heritage.
This phenomenon of growing closer to Judaism out of choice, love, and desire for connection is especially strong now, with observance growing since Israel was forced into war on October 7. Since then, 31% of Israelis feel increased faith in God, and 28% feel a deeper connection to Judaism, according to a Reichman University poll.
Anecdotal evidence overwhelmingly points to an increase in conversions as well. In one of the most harrowing instances of choosing faith, 20-year-old Agam Berger, who was held hostage in Gaza for 482 days, has recalled how she refrained from eating non-kosher meat, refused to cook on the Sabbath, even when ordered to by her captors, and read a homemade Haggadah with fellow hostage, Liri Albag, who was also released in a March Palestinian prisoner-hostage exchange deal.
It should be noted that this increased practice of Judaism, or elements of Judaism, is happening independent of official channels. There is no judgment or coercion – only sincere thirst and yearning. To further allow this resurgence of Judaism to flower, leaders need to absorb that coercion and judgment are not effective or appropriate. Rather, they need to lead with love and prioritize inclusivity.
This need for love and inclusivity applies especially to the Israeli Chief Rabbinate, which has complete authority over marriage, divorce, conversion, and other matters of personal status for the Jewish population. Too often, the Rabbinate caters primarily to the ultra-Orthodox sector and its interests, and perpetuates discrimination and exclusion instead of upholding the Torah’s values of love and inclusivity.
Take, for example, a young couple I know who were trapped for 60 hours in a bomb shelter in the South during the attacks that began on October 7, 2023. Facing their possible deaths, they realized that they wanted to live a life rooted in Judaism.
When they emerged from hiding, the man, Jewish from birth, went off to reserve duty to help defend the country, and the woman, not born Jewish, began studying for conversion. Despite her dedication, including living separately from her partner for over a year, the Rabbinate wanted to force her to prolong her studies, delaying her conversion and ability to marry her partner halachically.
Fortunately, she was able to complete her conversion through an alternative halachic path and marry her husband under a huppah. But the mistreatment by the official religious authorities remains painful.
This is especially troubling now – and antagonizing to a large swath of the Jewish population, due to the support of members of Knesset to allow some of the haredi sector to not serve in the IDF amid the ongoing war. According to Torah law, every able-bodied Jew is obligated to help defend the nation, even if that means putting other pursuits aside. Our Jewish spiritual leadership should be calling for that collective responsibility.
Any Jewish leader, from rabbis to teachers to parents, should ask themselves: Am I embodying the love and encouragement that Naomi showed to Ruth and Ruth to Naomi? Do I remember that all of Am Israel – not just the Orthodox – stood at Mount Sinai?
May we all internalize the true meanings and lessons in the Torah and be able to celebrate them, on Shavuot and every day.
The writer, a rabbi, is president and rosh ha’yeshiva of Ohr Torah Stone.