Rabbi Michael Lerner Speaks in Denver's Abu Baker Mosque, Islamic Center of Denver (Sunday, January 6, 2008)

Trying To Be Positive About Michael Lerner

I have been thinking about Michael Lerner's talk yesterday at Denver's Abu Bakr Mosque on Parker Road and trying to find a way to write about it in a positive manner. Believe it or not I'd liked to be able to do that. I am not sure if it was `a first' or `historic' - having a rabbi speak at a mosque in Denver - but it was definitely some kind of landmark event. The evidence that it was at least a special event is reflected in the size of audience - I don't know the number but there might have been as many as 500 people in attendance - and from the obviously warm and open way both the mosque's new imam greeted both the audience and Lerner himself. A friendly and thoughtful message to the participants from Colorado's Governor Ritter is also suggestive that something unique was taking place.

The passage chosen from the Koran, read before Lerner's speech was chosen to make the audience with its fair number of Jews, Christians and non-believers - feel comfortable. It emphasized inclusiveness and the unifying themes of the three Abrahamic traditions. Lerner himself acknowledged the event's symbolic signficance.

Only two other times in the past five years have I attended events where the audience was so diverse and where the many players interested for one reason or another in the Middle East conflict found themselves in the same room in large numbers. The first time was when both Nazmi Jubeh and Menachem Klein, Palestinian and Israeli signers of the then new Geneva Accord spoke at Iliff School of Theology. The last time I saw as many yalmilkas in an audience before Lerner's talk was at the Geneva Accord event. Several rabbis were in attendance and many from the Jewish Community. Denver's Palestinian and more general Arab Community had turned out in force as well as a goodly number of liberal Christians who have shown interest in the subject.

The second occasion was an interfaith dialogue about two years ago that included Moslem, Jewish and Christian representatives in dialogue and a film about Israeli and Palestinian teenagers finding each other. This event was sponsored by the Abrahamic Initiative and was held at St. John's Episcopal Cathedral. Both these earlier events were also well attended with audiences of 300 or more. On both those occasions I am convinced what brought people together was that finally at long last, there was a kind of chemistry - the key players, Israeli and Palestinian, Jewish, Moslem and Christian were involved.

The dialogue at these two other events was respectful but frank, not contrived. And there was a kind of hope that these kinds of forums were preludes to genuine peace processes that might resolve the conflict along well known lines: an end to the Israeli Occupation, a dismantling of settlements in the Occupied Territories an Israeli withdrawal from all of the 1967 territories along the lines of UN Resolutions and the implementation of a two state solution, a secure Israel within its 1967 borders with strong security guarantees and the creation of a viable and continuous independent Palestinian state along side Israel.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

There was alot of downright excitement in that Mosque's packed hall yesterday. The audience turn-out to hear Michael Lerner is a credit to the event's organizers, to the Mosque and of course to Lerner himself. If ever there was an event that people wanted to be successful - most everyone in the room - it was this one. The novelty of hearing a rabbi in a mosque, and not just any rabbi but Michael Lerner with national reputation and his proven track record is what gave the event life, excitement and of course, a bit of hope.

Representatives of every strain in Denver's Jewish Community - from left to right were there. At least two Rabbis - Field and Booth - were in attendance. Many Christian human rights activists were present too and although I frankly could tell who was or wasn't Muslim, from the conversations I heard, my impression was that many Muslims were there to listen to Lerner. People were in attendance from all over the front range. An old friend from Pueblo, long time former Catholic activist had made the journey as did many from Boulder and from as far north as Ft. Collins. Such a diverse turn out - and that on relatively short notice - around this event rarely happens in Colorado(or elsewhere) and when it does that in itself is something special. Commenting on the diversity of the audience, one of my friends spoke about how pleased he was to be in a room full of Moslems, Jews, Christians, Atheists and that `we were just all folk'.

Actually, the little geriatric (but spry!) peace group I work with in Northwest Denver had planned our own meeting to review videos on Iraq for neighborhood home showings at the same time. But there was enough interest in hearing with Michael Lerner had to say - and in a mosque at that - that we cancelled the meeting and car pooled to the event. There were at least 6 of us there. For several friends, simply going to a mosque was worth the trip. `I've never been in a mosque' I heard from a number of them who were as much interested in seeing a mosque for the first time in their lives as they were hearing Michael Lerner.

Michael Lerner and the `Spiritual Left'

There are a number of people - call them progressive Jews - whose words I read rather carefully, the Israelis Uri Avnery and Jeff Halpern, here in the USA Lerner, the folks at Jewish Voice For Peace, B'rit Tzedek, my friend up the road Ira Chernus, Chomsky and when she was alive (and I genuinely miss her) Tanya Reinhart. One would have to add Norman Finkelstein to that list too. The publication Lerner founded, Tikkun, is worth reading.

This is the second time I've heard Rabbi Lerner speak in Colorado.

The last time was in Boulder when he spoke to an equally large audience of mostly Jewish progressives. That conference was put together essentially by 3 or 4 progressive Jewish women - Elissa Tivona, Adrienne Harber, Leslie Lomas and Jill Breslau and was a land mark event that among other things, revealed that there is a progressive Jewish Community on Colorado's front range. Lerner's talk that time - was, in my view excellent -. It not that then or now I agree with all his formulations, but it was the way he talked about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, his understanding of the immorality of the occupation and a call for its end, which he made explicit then and since that convinced me that whatever differences one has with him (I frankly can't relate to his spiritual coalition, although I think it a useful idea) - he is not an easy person to work with (I have heard that frequently and from many sources) - but despite it all, that he is a strategic ally, a force for peace in the Jewish Community, a genuine mensch!

When Lerner finished he got broad applause and a standing ovation, but more for what he stands for than what he said, at least among my acquaintances that greeted his remarks rather coolly. I happened to be sitting next to an old friend, a Quaker who used to be an organizer for the American Friends Service Committee, and a talented one at that. When the talk ended, I asked him `short version - what did you think?' He thought for a second and said, `I'll have to think about it,' and then added `the logic was circumscribed.' Another friend, active in Democratic Party circles in Denver was more blunt and she answered in word, `disappointed'. A third friend, just getting involved in B'rit Tzedek, new Jewish peace group in Denver answered along the same lines but a bit softer `I don't know if I was disappointed, but he didn't seem to say much'.

Agreed this above sampling is rather modest but it reflected my ambivalence as well.

The talk wandered far and wide - nothing wrong with that by the way - but the subject was supposed to be the 2008 elections and it was hardly touched and as a result was somewhat flat. Many people were hoping that he would address the Israeli-Palestinian question but that was not the agreed upon subject - perhaps another time - and he did not delve into that. Nor did he talk about the war in Iraq, which he has made clear he opposes - well he spoke of it a very little in the end when he called for a world wide Marshall plan to help rebuild Iraq - or the current sabre - rattling that the Bush Administration is engaging in against Iran, with the support of many elements of the mainstream Jewish Community, including here in Colorado.

One had to wonder `what's the deal'?

Lerner did give us a rather intriguing theological analysis of both the left and right hand of God - essentially how religion can be used in either a human or oppressive fashion (although I dont' know if Lerner would use these words). It was interesting and given that he was speaking in a mosque and the subject matter there was theologically relevant, it might have struck some chords. I don't know. I'd be curious to know how his remarks were received among the Muslims in the audience. Finally, without knowing the answer, one has to ask if this was a one shot deal, a kind of exciting but passing gesture - a rabbi speaking in a mosque - or the beginning of a genuine and honest dialogue, that would include at some point imams speaking in synagogues. Time will tell.

I am curious what other friends in attendance thought and would appreciate hearing from you.