"Two nations are in your womb,
Two separate peoples shall issue from your body;
One people shall be mightier than the other,
And the older shall serve the younger." (Genesis 25:23)
In this week’s Torah portion, Toldot, we read the story of Jacob and Esau, twin brothers who have become associated with two different monotheistic faiths – Judaism and Christianity. Tradition teaches us that from the moment these twins were born they were in competition, with the text providing us with the vivid picture of Jacob holding onto Esau’s heel as they were being born, struggling for superiority from their first breath. And although sibling rivalry is common in our world, and a theme in the Book of Genesis, the story of competition between Jacob and Esau is not merely a story of sibling rivalry, but it is also a story of religious competition. After all, Jacob would go on to be considered a Jewish patriarch and Esau a progenitor of Christians.
Even though they were twin brothers, Jacob and Esau were plagued by a curse of intolerance, which grew throughout their lives. It was only after years of separation in their adulthood that Jacob and Esau were able to reconcile. And it was only after years of hatred and distrust that they could begin to form a semblance of understanding and tolerance between themselves; peace among their clans would remain a goal for the future.
Unfortunately, the story of religious intolerance found in Toldot is not an isolated incident in the history of society. Instances of religious competition and prejudice scar the history of civilization from the Egyptian enslavement of the Hebrews in Biblical times to the Crusades during the Middle Ages, the Inquisition, and the Holocaust in modern times. It is, sadly, a history of religious bigotry and repression.
History, however, can also teach us many uplifting lessons. This weekend, we commemorate and celebrate the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Elimination of all Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief. This document was created to address the unfortunate history of intolerance and help lead us down a better path in the future.
The United Nations was formed out of the ashes of the Holocaust, one of the worst human tragedies of all time. It was the epitome of religious intolerance and persecution, with one group seeking the complete destruction and annihilation of another. But it was out of the shadows of the Holocaust that arose the United Nations – a body whose charter dedicates it to the establishment of “universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.”
The attention in the UN Charter to the need for religious tolerance, however, was not considered sufficient. That is why, years later, on November 25, 1981, the United Nations passed the UN Declaration on the Elimination of all Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion and Belief. Even though the idea of universal human rights, including religious freedom, was assumed in the 1945 United Nations Charter, numerous countries, individuals, and interest groups did not see this statement as all encompassing enough; it was viewed by many not to have the necessary power to really combat religious discrimination. Because of this shared commitment by many to strengthen the United Nation’s position against religious intolerance, years of negotiations, discussions, and compromises ensued to produce the current declaration. This declaration does what the United Nations Charter fails to do by specifically protecting acts of religious expression and directing each member country to adopt similar legislation. It has been used in support of legal actions, including a 1996 case brought by Scientologists against Germany for failing to recognize Scientology as a religion and thereby engaging in religious discrimination. However, its power is a fraction of what it could be if the United Nations would elevate its status to a binding United Nations Covenant. Today, the declaration serves as a guide, a moral statement, promoting religious unity, harmony and understanding in our society. Tomorrow, it could do more.
This weekend as we celebrate the 25 th anniversary of the UN Declaration, we look around in our world and see there is much more that must be done to ensure religious liberty in all nations. As Jews we are often seen as the quintessential victims of religious persecution. Therefore, the imperative for us to do our share of this work is amplified. The Reform Movement has answered this call through the adoption of the 2003 URJ Resolution on International Religious Freedom, a resolution that calls for nations to support the victims of religious persecution with both humanitarian and legal support in an effort to work towards the elimination of all religious persecution. The Reform Movement has always been, and will continue to be, an outspoken advocate for the rights of all religious groups. Our stance as a leader in this fight has been recognized by members of the community and our government, with Rabbi David Saperstein, the Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, being appointed by Congress as the first Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. As a community, we continue to do this work, but we are not naïve. We know that the road to interreligious understanding is not easy. But nonetheless, it remains our obligation to pursue this ideal.
Jacob and Esau were brothers who were in competition since their first breaths; brothers who physically and emotionally scarred one another for years. But even they, years later, were able to make peace with one another. May we, too, pursue that same goal and use as our inspiration and model the 25 th anniversary of the signing of the UN Declaration on the Elimination of all Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief.
Debra Eichenbaum is a Religious Action Center Legislative Assistant. |
