Roberta G. Sands - The Spiritual Transformation of Jews Who Become Orthodox

The Spiritual Transformation
of Jews Who Become Orthodox

The Spiritual Transformation
of Jews Who Become Orthodox

ROBERTA G. SANDS

Published by State University of New York Press, Albany

2019 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Sands, Roberta G., author.

Title: The spiritual transformation of Jews who become Orthodox / Roberta G. Sands.

Description: Albany, New York : State University of New York, [2019] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018027991 | ISBN 9781438474298 (hardcover : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781438474304 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: JewsReturn to Orthodox Judaism. | Spiritual lifeJudaism.

Classification: LCC BM565 .S26 2019 | DDC 296.7/15dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018027991

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Theres a whole big tradition out there, and theres a whole Jewish tradition thats so beautiful. It was locked away; you didnt even know about it. At first, you didnt even know about it; then you knew about it, but it didnt seem very accessible; then it starts to become accessible its very cool. I love that process. So now that things are becoming more accessible, its good, its good, its a good place to be. But its still exciting.

Ben, Orthodox for ten years

Contents

List of Tables

Acknowledgments

The research described in this book was developed together with Rivka Ausubel Danzig, who died tragically in 2006 following a courageous struggle with illness. She was my partner in the conceptualization, implementation, and initial analysis of the study. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work with Rivka, whose penetrating intellect, creativity, perceptiveness, and spiritual depth were awe-inspiring. I am grateful for her contributions to this study and deeply regret that she did not live long enough to participate in the writing of this book.

Rivka and I collaborated on the study Baalei teshuvahs Spiritual Transformational Soul Work. I appreciate the funding and support we received from The Spiritual Transformation Scientific Research Program, sponsored by the Metanexus Institute on Religion and Science, with the generous support of the John M. Templeton Foundation. I am particularly appreciative of the support provided by Solomon H. Katz, founding president of the Metanexus Institute and director of its Spiritual Transformation Scientific Research Program. Others affiliated with this program, especially Joan D. Koss-Chioino and Hava Tirosh-Samuelson, as well as other grant recipients, offered encouragement to further our work.

This research was made possible by individuals who cannot be named because they were promised anonymity. I am grateful to the baalei and baalot teshuvah who shared their experiences and challenges in their individual interviews and in focus groups. They are remarkable individuals whose determination and perseverance are documented in this book. I also appreciate the participation of key informants, also promised anonymity. I wish I could name this distinguished group of rabbis, rebbetzins, and community leaders.

A number of individuals helped with the implementation of this research. I am especially grateful to Robyn Rapoport Spero, our proficient research coordinator, who participated in all phases of the research, including screening potential participants, interviewing, coding, and data analysis. I also thank the following individuals for their assistance in various capacities: Gail Feinstein, Susan Frager, Jennie Goldenberg, Tirzah Goldenberg, Miriam Hirsch, Chanie Holzer, Nicole Ives, Rebecca Stern Lamm, Charna Shapiro, Rashi Shapiro, and Victoria Stanhope.

Thanks also go to former dean Richard Gelles and support staff of the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice, and to the Social Work Mental Health Research Center (especially Phyllis Solomon, Steven Marcus, and Craig Abbs) that existed at the time of this study. My immersion in the field of social work as a social work educator at the University of Pennsylvania and elsewhere, as well as my social work practice experience, influenced the theoretical perspective taken in this book.

Two chapters of this book include versions of previous publications. I thank John Wiley & Sons for allowing me to use a modified version of my article The social integration of baalei teshuvah , Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 48 (1), 86102, 2009 by the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. I also thank Taylor & Francis for permission to use a modified version of an article I co-wrote with Rivka Danzig, A model of spiritual transformation of baalei teshuvah , Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 26 (2), 2348. DOI: 10.1300/J377v26n02_02; https://www.tandfonline.com.

I have benefited from the work of scholars who preceded me in studying Jews who become Orthodox. These include Janet Aviad, Sarah Bunin Benor, M. Herbert Danzger, Lynn Davidman, and Debra Kaufman. Thanks also go to Cynthia Darling-Fisher and Nancy Kline Leidy for allowing us to use the Modified Erikson Psychosocial Stage Inventory (MEPSI) in this research. I also appreciate the valuable reader reports on my manuscript obtained by State University of New York Press. Thanks also go to Rafael Chaiken for guiding me throughout this process and Eric Schramm for valuable suggestions.

Many friends and family members have been here for me as I worked on this project. I thank my daughter, Bonnie (Blima) Moskoff, who, after she became Orthodox, sparked my interest in baalei teshuvah as a research topic. I appreciate her reviewing by Minny Mock, that enriched my understanding of the process of becoming Orthodox. I also thank my son Philip Wilhelm for being there for me. Finally, and significantly, I thank my beloved husband, Samuel Klausner, for his advice, encouragement, perspectives, insights, and support throughout this undertaking. I appreciate his prodigious knowledge and wisdom, as well as his tolerance of the time and energy it took in writing and completing the manuscript.

Philadelphia, PA
May 6, 2018

Introduction

The Context of Spiritual Transformation

Seated beside a partition separating the womens section from the mens, the women wedding guests chatted excitedly among themselves. After the musicians returned from their break and introduced a lively tune, a few friends of the bride beckoned the women to form a circle on the dance floor together with Shani, the bride. All of a sudden, several other friends of the bride placed red and green pointed paper hats on their heads and joined the circle. Holding hands, the women with the hats moved into the center of the circle and danced with Shani while the others clapped. Then women in the outer circle joined the center circle, dancing with Shani and her friends.