c. 2004 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) In what he calls “Common Judaism,” Michael Steinhardt is trying to foster a unifying loyalty among Jews that transcends the denominations of Reform, Conservative and Orthodox.

The undertaking, part of Steinhardt’s Jewish Life Network (JLN), may be the most controversial yet for a philanthropist who has a history of challenging the status quo.

It’s an effort, said Steinhardt, to “ideally create a Judaism that will spiritually resonate for 21st century Jews.”

The project, which the JLN is working on with the Shalem Institute in Israel, is in early stages of planning, but Steinhardt hopes it will be a “crowning achievement” in his efforts to instill genuine spirituality in the American Jewish community.

Achieving this goal might be “a year away, a decade away or a century away,” said Rabbi Irving Greenberg, president of the JLN.

Greenberg said the goal of Common Judaism is to “make people aware that the primary loyalty and the primary religion comes first, and the denominational differences come second.”

Movement leaders, while they believe that something should be done to emphasize the unity of the Jewish people, do not agree with Steinhardt’s post-denominational analysis.

“There have always been different ways of living Judaism,” said Rabbi Jerome Epstein, the executive vice president of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. He added that though he “applauds” Steinhardt’s quest to find points of unity, he does not feel that “one has to eliminate different ways in which people can live their Judaism.”

Reform movement leadership agrees with Epstein.

Steinhardt’s idea is “a lofty goal,” said Rabbi Daniel Freelander, vice president of the Union for Reform Judaism. But Freelander called Steinhardt “Pollyanna-ish in believing that there ever was or ever will be a common Judaism.”

The organized Jewish movements, Freelander said, are attempting to bring spiritual meaning into their institutions, and bring unaffiliated young Jews back into the fold.

“We are trying to move away from the cool rationalism of 19th century Judaism toward the warmer spirituality of 21st century Judaism,” he said.

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