Freedom Seder Controversy

Freedom Seder Controversy

Post-Holocaust American Judaism Collections

2015

Moshe Kornfield, Scott Meyer, Elias Sacks, Stephanie Yuhas, Andrew Violet, Jane Thaler

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“But the Jewish community should not be fooled: Freedom Seder Controversy The Freedom Seder’s melding of religion and politics generated intensive public debate. Both supporters and detractors discussed the appropriateness of using the seder as a vehicle for political activism. “I too question the political appropriation of traditional Norman Podhoretz, editor of the periodical Commentary, drew on a Rabbi Arthur Green, a leading progressive rabbi responded: character appearing in the traditional Haggadah—a character known as the Wicked Son, who challenges the rituals he sees around him— to write the following: [Waskow and his supporters] still belong to the tribe of the wicked son of whom it is said in the Haggadah—the real Haggadah, not the one the wicked son himself [Waskow] seems to have written in collaboration with his brother the simpleton under the title of The Freedom Seder— that his wickedness consists of his having symbols. Norman Podhoretz’s use of the “wicked son” image to characterize Arthur Waskow strikes me as a prime example of such usage. Worse still: not only a political appropriation, but one involving personal defamation in public.” (Commentary Magazine, June 1971) removed himself from the community. Should his teeth then not be set on edge, and should he not be told that he has betrayed one of the most essential principles of the religion of his fathers?” (Commentary Magazine, February 1971)