I promised myself never to write about this guy again, Michael Chabon, but then this came up – Hebrew Union College, LA campus, invited him to speak to its graduating class of Reform rabbis.
Whatever they paid him, they could have gotten the same speech for free from Hamas.
What else could possibly go wrong?
In case you don’t know, Chabon is a Pulitzer Prize-winning Jewish writer, though you may doubt his being Jewish as I doubt his being a writer.
Tolstoy he isn’t and even I’d be willing to take him on novel for novel.
I wrote about him previously in a column titled “Why the wicked have all the luck.” But let’s get back to the latest…
First let’s spell out the exact title of the university that so honored Chabon. This is important. Tells what sort of rabbis are being let loose…and exactly how Chabon fits in.
So it goes like this: “Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion.”
Sounds impressive until we realize that this particular commencement speaker denies that the Exodus from Egypt ever took place. The event is a mainstay of the Hebrew Bible.
So the word “Hebrew” means nothing to Chabon, and so we don’t know if it means anything to the people who invited him. (Mahmoud Abbas wasn’t available?)Then the word “Jewish” in the title. Only this – Chabon calls himself an atheist. The two don’t mix. Then this – he’s against “obligatory Jewish rituals.”
So scratch “Religion” so far as Chabon is concerned and thus we have a university (and emerging Reform rabbis) dubiously Hebrew, Jewish or Religious…
How was Chabon’s “sermon” received?
One graduate, Morin Zaray reports:
“As I heard Chabon’s simplified takedown of my country [Israel], the room began to spin…I felt ashamed for being part of this gathering, ashamed that many in the audience were just nodding at this reductionist view of a multilayered and complicated country…I was nearly brought to tears as I heard the crowd of Jews give Chabon a thunderous applause.”