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The Third Jewish Catalog: Creating Community : With a Cumulative Index to All 3 Catalogs
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416 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1980
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December 27, 2025
THE THIRD AND FINAL VOLUME OF A THREE-BOOK SERIES
The introductory section of this 1980 book explains, “Before you lies the end product of a process that began over seven years ago… As we began to work on the third---and final!---volume of the Catalog, we were faced with the question of its organizing principle… ‘The Third Jewish Catalog’… grapples with the question of … the people Israel and its responsibility to itself and the world. Thus, there is less ritual and more ‘issues,’ less ‘how-to’ and more pointers and signposts indicating the Jewish way for ethical living. These are the issues that this Catalog treats, in the hope that it will bring us all closer to our goal of tikkum olam---the reordering and repairing of the world.”
They explain, “just because there are some people who can provide for the entire needs of a poor person… that does not mean that they are the only ones who are able to participate in the mitzvah of tzedakah [charity]. One is commanded to support the poor ‘as far as the hand reaches,’ i.e., according to one’s own means. A contribution of one-tenth of one’s income and property is considered to be an average amount, a fifth is mitzah hamuvhar---a choice mitzvah---and giving less than a tenth is considered miserly. You should not give more than one-fifth of your income lest you risk becoming poor yourself and thus become an unnecessary burden upon the community.” (Pg. 14)
They acknowledge, “In recent years Jewish federations have drawn a variety of adverse comments from a number of sources within the Jewish community. These are usually substantive and/or procedural in nature. 1. Substantive objections are those pertaining to allocation priorities… 2. The procedural criticisms are those entailing objections to the composition of decision-making bodies and/or methods they use to arrive at their decisions… The cultural criticism has been voiced by rabbis, Jewish educators, and organized Orthodoxy for many years, and most recently, has been taken up by Jewish intellectuals and student activists. Essentially, this group makes two major charges: 1. Far too much of the federations’ allocations are made to hospitals, Y’s, and recreational facilities of low Jewish identificational content. 2. Far too little of the federations’ monies are allocated to Jewish education, Jewish cultural life, the arts, and scholarship.” (Pg. 36-37)
They acknowledge, “One of the issues that different groups and individuals have struggled with is the priority of Jewish issues over non-Jewish ones. There are no easy answers to this dilemma, for no one can be involved in everything. There is a natural pull to Jewish concerns, for if we don’t care for/support or own community, who will? Yet should we concern ourselves only with ourselves---even in a broad sense? Does a non-Jew who is starving to death have a greater claim on us than a Soviet Jew seeking to leave Russia? Does a Jew in a decaying neighborhood have a greater claim on us than an Ibo of Nigeria? There are only shades of gray in such troubling questions. The two major Jewish events of the century have brought us to opposing conclusions. The State of Israel has taught us the power of the Jewish people acting in unity, and the absolute necessity for Jews to be able to rely on themselves rather than on others in a time of crisis. The Holocaust, however, taught us the powerlessness of people isolated in ghettos of their own or other people’s making.” (Pg. 49)
They ask, “Why should Jews demonstrate? In this media-oriented world in which Jews are still a small minority, a public manifestation can project your message to many people in a very short time with little cost. If Jews are not seen publicly backing their own causes, it becomes more difficult to ask for help outside the Jewish community. A demonstration generates political pressure and provides a useful outlet for the people involved. (Pg. 62)
They acknowledge, “It is often difficult for the Americans working with the Russian Jews to get satisfactory answers to two questions: (1) Why did these Jews come to the United States rather than Israel? (2) Since many of these Jews know very little about Judaism and were not terribly persecuted as Jews in the USSR, why did they want to leave? At present the only people allowed to leave Russia are Jews seeking the right to emigrate to Israel. Unlike the refuseniks, many Russian Jews leave Russia because they believe they would have a better life in the West rather than for reasons of religious persecution. In fact, most Russian Jews experience litter overt or personal persecution until they apply for exit visas to Israel.” (Pg. 73)
They admit, “The Jewish community itself, then, cannot eradicate the suffering of its senior members. It resources, however impressive, are simply too meager for the enormousness of the task. Sufficient resources to provide livable housing adequate relief, and humane nursing can come only from governmental aid.” (Pg. 90)
They assert, “The synagogue is the only institution claiming as its reason for existence the perpetuation of religious Judaism in America. It is the only place offering any form of worship experience. It is clearly the chief employer of rabbis and teachers of Judaism. It assumes the awesome responsibility of educating the vast majority of Jews and their children. For all but a very few Jews the synagogue is the sole vehicle for religious life and response. Indeed, its promised goals exhaust virtually every activity religious Jews of our time feel it is important for Jews to go on doing. And despite all this, few would disagree that most synagogues are irrelevant, boring, and probably secular.” (Pg. 104)
They observe, “the Hevra Kadisha---the burial society---was once a basic institution of Jewish communal life. Unfortunately, it has dwindled into virtual nonexistence in contemporary Jewish communities… Perhaps one0 aspect of the revitalized community that many of us envision for American Jewry is the reestablishment of the human sharing and mutual responsibility that was embodied in these hevrot [societies]. Too often the simple facts of kindness that all Jews are commanded to perform are seen are part of the job of the rabbi, and the rest of the community regards itself as being exempt from visiting the sick or the mourners.” (Pg. 136)
They even admit, “Odd as it may sound, the Mormon Church may be the best source there is for Jewish genealogical research!” (Pg. 185)
They suggest, “Although historically the Jewish community has gone out of its way to reject intermarried couples (and sometimes… to shun converts) I believe the time for this ‘luxury’ has passed. Practicality alone (given the enormous surge in in intermarriages) should teach us… [that] it is no longer in our own best interest to ignore the intermarried couple. The erosion has gone too deep.” (Pg. 258)
They point out, “Israel basically makes two demands on American Jews: financial support and aliyah. The first is a commitment that many American Jews are willing to undertake, but it is, nonetheless, problematic for both parties. The roles of donor and recipient are difficult ones, all the more so in this instance when Israeli reactions to financial support can sometimes fall into two categories: (1) resentment against ‘rich Americans’ who give them money, a feeling of frustration and helplessness over the need to accept the support of ‘an outsider’---which carries the implicit admission of an inability to support oneself; (2) an attitude that this is not charity but rather support owed to Israel because it is the Jewish state. This notion… has its own problems. Americans sometimes resent both the taking for granted of their support and the fact that Israelis do not recognize that Americans voluntarily assume their financial responsibility BY THEIR OWN CHOICE. In American terms, the difference between an Israel that accepts funds as its due and an Israel that looks on American Jews as a sort of voluntary ‘silent partner’ is enormous.” (Pg. 332)
They continue, “Diaspora Jewry also makes unrealistic demands on Israel. Many, especially those who are themselves not particularly religious, expect Israelis to be pious Jews and are angered upon finding Israelis who, for example, eat nonkosher food… In addition, we are shocked to discover financial scandals in Israel. Some people do not believe that there are Jewish criminals in Jewish jails…. Another issue … is the whole problem of the rabbinate’s control over marriage, divorce, conversion, the question of who is a Jew, etc. The angry resentment on the part of many Israelis against this control… has remained submerged only because of overriding concern for Israel’s security.” (Pg. 335)
They acknowledge, “To criticize Israel is to risk being ostracized and to risk the loss of all credibility. The painful and perplexing problem arises when we are faced with the realization that we feel a certain Israeli position or policy… to be wrong. Do we support Israel anyway because she is deserving of every Jew’s support?… Or must we take a stand at some point expressing our loving disapproval?… Most of the Jewish community will respond to the above dilemmas in two ways: (1) by thinking that Israel is never wrong (or at least not yet) and (2) by keeping quiet.” (Pg. 338)
Yes, this Catalog series is 45-50+ years old; but it still has some interesting information and opinions.
The introductory section of this 1980 book explains, “Before you lies the end product of a process that began over seven years ago… As we began to work on the third---and final!---volume of the Catalog, we were faced with the question of its organizing principle… ‘The Third Jewish Catalog’… grapples with the question of … the people Israel and its responsibility to itself and the world. Thus, there is less ritual and more ‘issues,’ less ‘how-to’ and more pointers and signposts indicating the Jewish way for ethical living. These are the issues that this Catalog treats, in the hope that it will bring us all closer to our goal of tikkum olam---the reordering and repairing of the world.”
They explain, “just because there are some people who can provide for the entire needs of a poor person… that does not mean that they are the only ones who are able to participate in the mitzvah of tzedakah [charity]. One is commanded to support the poor ‘as far as the hand reaches,’ i.e., according to one’s own means. A contribution of one-tenth of one’s income and property is considered to be an average amount, a fifth is mitzah hamuvhar---a choice mitzvah---and giving less than a tenth is considered miserly. You should not give more than one-fifth of your income lest you risk becoming poor yourself and thus become an unnecessary burden upon the community.” (Pg. 14)
They acknowledge, “In recent years Jewish federations have drawn a variety of adverse comments from a number of sources within the Jewish community. These are usually substantive and/or procedural in nature. 1. Substantive objections are those pertaining to allocation priorities… 2. The procedural criticisms are those entailing objections to the composition of decision-making bodies and/or methods they use to arrive at their decisions… The cultural criticism has been voiced by rabbis, Jewish educators, and organized Orthodoxy for many years, and most recently, has been taken up by Jewish intellectuals and student activists. Essentially, this group makes two major charges: 1. Far too much of the federations’ allocations are made to hospitals, Y’s, and recreational facilities of low Jewish identificational content. 2. Far too little of the federations’ monies are allocated to Jewish education, Jewish cultural life, the arts, and scholarship.” (Pg. 36-37)
They acknowledge, “One of the issues that different groups and individuals have struggled with is the priority of Jewish issues over non-Jewish ones. There are no easy answers to this dilemma, for no one can be involved in everything. There is a natural pull to Jewish concerns, for if we don’t care for/support or own community, who will? Yet should we concern ourselves only with ourselves---even in a broad sense? Does a non-Jew who is starving to death have a greater claim on us than a Soviet Jew seeking to leave Russia? Does a Jew in a decaying neighborhood have a greater claim on us than an Ibo of Nigeria? There are only shades of gray in such troubling questions. The two major Jewish events of the century have brought us to opposing conclusions. The State of Israel has taught us the power of the Jewish people acting in unity, and the absolute necessity for Jews to be able to rely on themselves rather than on others in a time of crisis. The Holocaust, however, taught us the powerlessness of people isolated in ghettos of their own or other people’s making.” (Pg. 49)
They ask, “Why should Jews demonstrate? In this media-oriented world in which Jews are still a small minority, a public manifestation can project your message to many people in a very short time with little cost. If Jews are not seen publicly backing their own causes, it becomes more difficult to ask for help outside the Jewish community. A demonstration generates political pressure and provides a useful outlet for the people involved. (Pg. 62)
They acknowledge, “It is often difficult for the Americans working with the Russian Jews to get satisfactory answers to two questions: (1) Why did these Jews come to the United States rather than Israel? (2) Since many of these Jews know very little about Judaism and were not terribly persecuted as Jews in the USSR, why did they want to leave? At present the only people allowed to leave Russia are Jews seeking the right to emigrate to Israel. Unlike the refuseniks, many Russian Jews leave Russia because they believe they would have a better life in the West rather than for reasons of religious persecution. In fact, most Russian Jews experience litter overt or personal persecution until they apply for exit visas to Israel.” (Pg. 73)
They admit, “The Jewish community itself, then, cannot eradicate the suffering of its senior members. It resources, however impressive, are simply too meager for the enormousness of the task. Sufficient resources to provide livable housing adequate relief, and humane nursing can come only from governmental aid.” (Pg. 90)
They assert, “The synagogue is the only institution claiming as its reason for existence the perpetuation of religious Judaism in America. It is the only place offering any form of worship experience. It is clearly the chief employer of rabbis and teachers of Judaism. It assumes the awesome responsibility of educating the vast majority of Jews and their children. For all but a very few Jews the synagogue is the sole vehicle for religious life and response. Indeed, its promised goals exhaust virtually every activity religious Jews of our time feel it is important for Jews to go on doing. And despite all this, few would disagree that most synagogues are irrelevant, boring, and probably secular.” (Pg. 104)
They observe, “the Hevra Kadisha---the burial society---was once a basic institution of Jewish communal life. Unfortunately, it has dwindled into virtual nonexistence in contemporary Jewish communities… Perhaps one0 aspect of the revitalized community that many of us envision for American Jewry is the reestablishment of the human sharing and mutual responsibility that was embodied in these hevrot [societies]. Too often the simple facts of kindness that all Jews are commanded to perform are seen are part of the job of the rabbi, and the rest of the community regards itself as being exempt from visiting the sick or the mourners.” (Pg. 136)
They even admit, “Odd as it may sound, the Mormon Church may be the best source there is for Jewish genealogical research!” (Pg. 185)
They suggest, “Although historically the Jewish community has gone out of its way to reject intermarried couples (and sometimes… to shun converts) I believe the time for this ‘luxury’ has passed. Practicality alone (given the enormous surge in in intermarriages) should teach us… [that] it is no longer in our own best interest to ignore the intermarried couple. The erosion has gone too deep.” (Pg. 258)
They point out, “Israel basically makes two demands on American Jews: financial support and aliyah. The first is a commitment that many American Jews are willing to undertake, but it is, nonetheless, problematic for both parties. The roles of donor and recipient are difficult ones, all the more so in this instance when Israeli reactions to financial support can sometimes fall into two categories: (1) resentment against ‘rich Americans’ who give them money, a feeling of frustration and helplessness over the need to accept the support of ‘an outsider’---which carries the implicit admission of an inability to support oneself; (2) an attitude that this is not charity but rather support owed to Israel because it is the Jewish state. This notion… has its own problems. Americans sometimes resent both the taking for granted of their support and the fact that Israelis do not recognize that Americans voluntarily assume their financial responsibility BY THEIR OWN CHOICE. In American terms, the difference between an Israel that accepts funds as its due and an Israel that looks on American Jews as a sort of voluntary ‘silent partner’ is enormous.” (Pg. 332)
They continue, “Diaspora Jewry also makes unrealistic demands on Israel. Many, especially those who are themselves not particularly religious, expect Israelis to be pious Jews and are angered upon finding Israelis who, for example, eat nonkosher food… In addition, we are shocked to discover financial scandals in Israel. Some people do not believe that there are Jewish criminals in Jewish jails…. Another issue … is the whole problem of the rabbinate’s control over marriage, divorce, conversion, the question of who is a Jew, etc. The angry resentment on the part of many Israelis against this control… has remained submerged only because of overriding concern for Israel’s security.” (Pg. 335)
They acknowledge, “To criticize Israel is to risk being ostracized and to risk the loss of all credibility. The painful and perplexing problem arises when we are faced with the realization that we feel a certain Israeli position or policy… to be wrong. Do we support Israel anyway because she is deserving of every Jew’s support?… Or must we take a stand at some point expressing our loving disapproval?… Most of the Jewish community will respond to the above dilemmas in two ways: (1) by thinking that Israel is never wrong (or at least not yet) and (2) by keeping quiet.” (Pg. 338)
Yes, this Catalog series is 45-50+ years old; but it still has some interesting information and opinions.
September 26, 2018
Interesting and informative, although now outdated as a resource for sources and contacts.
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September 23, 2010The Third Jewish Catalog: Creating Community : With a Cumulative Index to All 3 Catalogs by Sharon Strassfeld (1980)
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews