An American youth group has announced that it is hosting an "intentional Yom Kippur lunch meetup", saying that "fasting is just one of several valid ways to observe the holiday".
GatherDC - an organisation for Jews in their 20s and 30s in the Washington DC area - is organising the lunch on Yom Kippur, next Wednesday, October 5th saying there is "no fasting required to be considered a good Jew".
The lunch, along with other "alternative" Yom Kippur events that the group is organising, has caused something of a stir on social media, with some labelling the event a "mockery", while others criticised the "righteousness" of those attacking the group.
GatherDC told the JC that their plans "have not altered", despite the backlash.
In a shocking mockery of Jewish practice, @gather_DC is promoting a meal for Jewish young adults during Yom Kippur- a day of fasting-to “honor the act of intentional eating on this special day.” GatherDC “rabbi” Ilana Zietman is participating. @cjvalues https://t.co/ym58LvmeH7 pic.twitter.com/NuZXYfQGuE
— Joel Griffith (@joelgriffith) September 19, 2022
To mark the holiest day of the year on the Jewish calendar, GatherDC is hosting three events aimed at young Jews in their 20s and 30s.
The first is an "exploratory and interactive Yom Kippur experience led by GatherDC’s Community Rabbi, Ilana." The group insists that "it’s not a prayer service and it’s not in a synagogue" in the hope of attracting Jews of all religious traditions or of none.
They say that Hebrew is not required, and added: "you don’t have to believe in God to be moved or inspired (although it’s cool if you do, too!)."
The second event is an "intentional Yom Kippur Lunch" for people "who do not fast on Yom Kippur for important personal, health, and religious reasons".
The group says that eating on Yom Kippur "is something that should be celebrated because Jewish tradition acknowledges that fasting is just one of several valid ways to observe the holiday. This year, we’re experimenting with organising a lunch meetup for those who would find it meaningful to gather with other people who also do not fast and even engage in a Jewish ritual to honour the act of intentional eating on this special day."
In the early evening, however, the group will be hosting a "delicious and casual break-the-fast" meal, with "bagels, schmear, drinks, and friendly faces."
The events will be hosted by Rabbi Ilana Zietman, a pluralistic rabbi who received her rabbinic ordination from Hebrew College in Massachusetts.
The group's plans triggered a backlash on social media, with a raging debate on "Jewish Twitter" about whether or not one could eat on the holy day.
Will they be serving pork, shrimp, and frog legs to mark the occasion? https://t.co/ukyBxB1jrf
— Jeff Jacoby (@Jeff_Jacoby) September 20, 2022
Joel Griffith, a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, labelled it a "shocking mockery of Jewish practice", while Jerusalem-based rabbi Josh Yuter called it "cafeteria Judaism".
Jeff Jacoby, columnist at the Boston Globe tweeted: "Will they be serving pork, shrimp, and frog legs to mark the occasion?"
Joel Petlin - a New York school district superintendent, tweeted: "This is not Judaism, but it's exactly what happens when people are so open-minded that their brain falls out of their head."
Most of the comments say that not fasting for a variety of personal reasons is absolutely fine, but the criticism centres on the fact that this is an "intentional" lunch, which is being viewed as disrespectful to religious traditions.
Lahav Harkov, Senior Contributing Editor at The Jerusalem Post, wrote: "As someone who won’t be fasting this Yom Kippur for medical reasons - don’t make a mockery of the day in my name. You don’t respect our traditions and don’t respect people who do."
Those proclaiming their righteousness by spending the days before Rosh Hashanah attacking a beloved local Jewish org may want to take a step back and reflect on the meaning of the days of awe. Just a thought. We can, and should, disagree with fellow Jews without cruelty.
— Carly Pildis (@CarlyPildis) September 20, 2022
However, Carly Pildis, Director of Community Engagement at the Anti-Defamation League, wrote that she was "saddened to wake up and find fellow Jews attacking and denigrating @gather_DC".
She added: "This Jewish org is an invaluable resource serving the local Jewish community for many years. It’s sad to see hard-working Jewish professionals attacked, especially right before Rosh Hashanah.
"Those proclaiming their righteousness by spending the days before Rosh Hashanah attacking a beloved local Jewish org may want to take a step back and reflect on the meaning of the days of awe."
After being contacted for comment by the JC, a spokesperson for GatherDC said: "As you've noticed online, we've had a little bit of disagreement about the experience, but we are also receiving an abundance of support. Our plans have not altered."
