Coming up in the pages of Jewish Currents

We've got some really interesting pieces in the upcoming issue of Currents. If you're already a subscriber, you should be getting your copy in the mail in a few days. If you haven't already subscribed, then get your mouse over to our subscription page and join us.

One of the longer pieces in this issue is an excerpt from the memoirs of Arthur Waskow, Rabbi, Shalom Center director, and all around social justice icon.

Waskow's article focuses on his participation in the Democratic convention of 1968 and the attempt by his group of delegates to nominate a black man for President. The convention (and the trial that followed it) is a moment in history that is itself iconic, featuring righteous bearded radicals, evil cops and Jew vs. Jew (as in Abbie Hoffman vs. Judge Hoffman in their trial for conspiracy and incitement to riot.)

One of the interesting things about Waskow's piece is it reveals the moment of his religious awakening- a moment where he was able to connect the mythology and power of religion with the social justice work in which he was already so enmeshed.

It's hard for someone of my generation to imagine what it must have felt like then. In fact it's easy to look back and see the generation of 1968 as somewhat self-important and self-aggrandizing. Abbie Hoffman, for certain, comes across as bright but childish, a bratty kid overwhelmed by his own sense of cosmic importance. And yet... reading Waskow's piece, I wonder, what would my response be if the government sent armored cars and artillery into my neighborhood? (As Waskow writes about.) How would I have reacted to the image of a black man bound and gagged in a court of law? Would I have been able to take my outrage and self-righteousness and turned it into a force for good? Or would I have been consumed by cynicism and defeat?

It's no surprise that amidst this scene of high drama, where young people felt the responsibility of thousands of lives on their shoulders (if they could stop the war in Vietnam) some would connect their own work with the Jewish mandate for justice. I think a lot of what made Waskow so sucessful is that he was able to connect to something much bigger than himself and to connect his work to what had come before (and what would come next.) In fact, I would say that it is his connection to community and history that has made him a survivor among his peers of 1968. He's maintained his passion and commitment for 40 years. That in itself is pretty darn inspirational. So don't wait for an armored car to roll through your neighborhood- read the article and get inspired!