Living in an Upside-Down World: Finding Meaning in Complex Times
Jeffrey Cohen reviews Rabbi Ralph Genende’s book.
This is a book I approached with some hesitation. I had heard Ralph Genende speak on a number of occasions, and I thought I could predict what he would have to say on a number of topics. Boy, was I wrong. This book does, as the publisher’s blurb suggests, confronts “many crises and challenges of the 21st century”. While much focuses on issues facing the Jewish world, most have implications for the wider world in which we live. There are seven sections within the book. At least one I felt, was less relevant to the reader, especially those who do not live in Melbourne and who would not know those about whom he eulogised. One other section may or may not be relevant to each reader- those which describe his journeys to a number of Jewish communities, including his return to South Africa, the home of his youth and to Germany, which is a place that evokes much discussion about if it should still be visited while Shoah survivors still live.
The contents of this book seem to have been drawn from material he has written in other places, such as synagogue journals. Each piece is roughly four pages long or about one thousand words.
For me, the most interesting section was the second, in which he discusses what is called ‘Modern Orthodoxy’. Some would ask what is modern about orthodoxy. Others might ask about the relevance of ‘adjectival’ Judaism when, as Jonathan Sacks asked a couple of decades ago, “will I have Jewish grandchildren?” Someone once suggested if those both to the right and the left are troubled by what you write or say, then you must be on the money. I can see that on a number of issues Genende raises, there would be many on the left and right who definitely take issue with him- and for that, he must be on target. He raises the questions of Marriage Equality [he is for it]; the question how the orthodox community can accept LGBTIQA+ individuals (he feels that they must be part of the community); the difficulty that individuals experience wishing to convert to orthodox Judaism; and, indeed, the control that the haredi community have over the Betei Din, not only in Australia.
Rabbi Ralph Genende
His interests are not only limited to the Jewish community. He describes how an encounter with indigenous Australia brought him to reconciliation between indigenous Australian and the Jewish community (and as an aside the joint chair of Reconciliation Australia, Mark Leibler, launched this book). He has also an interest in multi-faith dialogue and there is an interesting piece out of his experiences of jointly leading a group of Jews, Christians and Muslims on a trip to Jerusalem a few years ago.
The last section of the book which he has called “Year of the Plague: Reflections of a Rabbi”, is a window into how a community leader who is used to encountering people either in groups or individually is suddenly shut down. Being orthodox this led to more limitations and a sense of isolation when the law precluded coming together in prayer, which included how, or even if, technology can be used and even when it is used, whether a group present together electronically but not physically constitute a minyan with prayers such as Kaddish can be said. One benefit of the Covid lockdown for pulpit rabbis, Genende articulates, how it made it possible to experience shabbat personally and as a family in a way that I suspect he may not have experienced since he left his parents’ home to study in Yeshiva. There is a thought-provoking (and indeed challenging) piece in the final section entitled “This is not my God!”.
What I came to appreciate as I read this book is that Genende took me back to the rabbis of my youth who were well versed both in Jewish and secular thought as opposed to many today who see that anything from the world outside theirs, if it is does not contribute to their income, is treif. There was a time when a rabbi would not be employed [and in that time, it was viewed as ‘being called’] by a synagogue if they did not hold a doctorate- and then there was a time when holding a doctorate almost precluded being a pulpit rabbi.
Rabbi Genende today works for Jewish Care- a reflection of his concern (and love) for others. He also has a role in Australia’s defence as Principal Rabbi.
I wish to finish this review in a different way than normal by drawing on his final chapter, which he entitles “Leaving You with the Four Ls” which are Life, Legacy, Learning and Love. At the end of this chapter, he observes that he might have left Caulfield synagogue but he has not left the rabbinate. How often am I asked, “what shul are you from?” as this is the only option available to each rabbi. At various stages, each rabbi finds different ways to “toil in the vineyards of the Lord!”
Author (Rabbi) Ralph Genende
Publisher: Retrospect
Reviewer: Jeffrey Cohen
Rabbi Jeffrey Cohen is currently involved in population health at the Sydney Medical campus of the University of Notre Dame Australia. He has worked at a number of other universities including UNSWSydney, the (then) University of Ballarat and St Louis University. He currently is involved in four studies on Indigenous Health. He also has a research appointment at St. Vincent’s Private Hospital Sydney. He has served on both national and statewide ethics committees
