Judaism 3.0 : Judaism’s Transformation To Zionism

by Gol Kalev

The stronger the European neo-monarchy is, the more troubling it is for Israel.

The increasing federalization of Europe and rise of the secular neo-monarchy is further indication that the battleground for Europe’s age-old feud with Judaism has shifted from the religious aspect of Judaism (Judaism 2.0) to the national aspect of Judaism – Zionism (Judaism 3.0).

But 1,500 years since the paganism vs. monotheism war ended with the outright victory of monotheism, paganism is back.

The European neo-monarchy is no longer a Divine-right monarchy, but it has some features that arguably resemble a paganic-right monarchy.

Europe is promoting a supremacist ideology, which has a hint of white supremacism, residual of suppressed national supremacism. This is manifested in its relations with Islam, in the arrogance of the EU, such as in its condescending attitudes towards the Palestinians,8 in the promotion of European universalism values, and other values Europe feels it must instill on the non-enlighten world. Mostly it manifested in the aggressive promotion of Europe’s new zealous religion – Secularism.

Since Israel is so much associated with monotheism, the European resumption of the old battle of paganism vs. monotheism is a long-term issue of grave concern to Judaism, which has a profound effect on the state of Judaism.

the renewed age-old conflict is now clearly with Judaism 3.0.

European attitudes towards Judaism are indicative of the inevitability of a Jewish transformation, but this is not only due to its frustrations and the form of opposition to Judaism. Increasingly, Europeans are looking at Zionism as a role-model for Europe!

after World War II, Europe has pivoted towards a post-nationalist ethos and towards European integration. Yet, today, more and more Europeans want to reverse this process. The Eurosceptic movement

Some of those crafting this narrative have identified Israel as a role-model for Europe.

Just as Israel-bashing is replacing anti-Semitism as the primary vehicle of opposition to Judaism, so does Isra-Philia replace Philo-Semitism as the primary vehicle of love to Judaism.

as Judaism transforms to Judaism 3.0, it allows Christians to get much closer to Judaism, while staying devout Christians. Judaism 2.0 rejects Christianity (as it did from the outset). Judaism 3.0 invites Christians to get closer.

The return to Jesus naturally results in a greater admiration for Jews – as Jesus was Jewish. But that admiration is reflected in admiration of the Jewish nation! Jesus was part of the Jewish nation (Judaism 3.0). But Jesus was not part of today’s Jewish religion in the way it evolved after his time to Rabbinic Judaism (Judaism 2.0). In Jesus’ time, Judaism was still in Judaism 1.0.

If Messianic Judaism prevails, and given it has no conversion requirements (the founders were Jewish, but anybody can join regardless of their background), Messianic Judaism has unlimited growth capacity. It can be the vehicle by which Christians numerically “take over” Judaism. This is not by ill-intention. This is simply by choosing to come home to Jesus by joining Messianic Judaism.

The back door to Judaism, that can result in its takeover, only exists under Judaism 2.0. Recognizing the transformation of Judaism would shut that door. Once it is underscored that Judaism is a nation, this reverse merger cannot occur.

The world has been in Judaism 3.0 long before the Jews themselves have. Both friends and foes today simply do not make a meaningful distinction between Jews and Israel.

Given that historically it was the outside that defined Judaism, a recognition that the world is already in Judaism 3.0 supports a reality that Judaism itself is transforming to Judaism 3.0.

Europeans have long viewed the Jews in a national context and continue to do so today, as they direct age-old opposition to Judaism through Zionism and funnel their frustration to the Jewish state as opposed to individual Jews.

But even the nature of threat against individual Jews is indicative of Jewish transformation.

French and European Jews once again are not safe. But these attacks against Jews have nothing to do with their Jewish faith ( Judaism 2.0), it simply has to do with their Israel connection (Judaism 3.0).

The Corbynistas are clearly in Judaism 3.0 – their issues with the Jews are because of Israel. Hence, British Jews are forced into Judaism 3.0 as well.

Activities of anarchists and far-left activists in other parts of Europe include desecrating synagogues in revenge for Israeli policy.

On the European far-right as well, myths that “Israel controls the world” or “Zionists control the world” are by now much more prevalen...

Europe and the United States are certainly in Judaism 3.0, but the rest of the world is even more so.

The Arab and Muslim world have long been in Judaism 3.0. This is true in both centers of Islam: The Middle East and Europe.

Similarly, Arabs who have been fighting Israel have not viewed it as fighting “Israelis” – but rather fighting the Jews.

Similarly, in the anti-Semitic incidents in Europe by Muslims, there is no separation between Israel and Jews. This is evident in Muslim attacks on European synagogues and cemeteries – targeting Jewish symbols and institutions as a way to express frustration at Israel.

For much of the world, Jew and Israeli are interchangeable terms.

The tribal-national-clan organizing principle often goes hand-in-hand and is inseparable from religion.

A Jew’s instinctive attempt to distance himself from Israel is irrelevant. The outside world still associates this Jew with Israel.

They are forced into the “fight or flight” response – defend Israel or put distance – perhaps even join anti-Israel movements. But the one thing that is not available to the Jews is an option to ignore their connection to Israel. For the Jew, denying the connection might seem logical, but for the outside this would simply be ridiculed.

This is similar to past episodes, when the Jews’ attempts to put distance from their Jewish national affiliation was proven irrelevant:

16th and 17th-cent...

19th-century...

1930s and 1940s through...

late 1940s and 1950s throughout th...

And yet, the inevitability of the Jewish transformation may not stem from the way the world perceives the Jews, nor from the way Jews relate to their Judaism, but rather from an existential necessity to transform.

The emergence of three potent existential threats necessitates a Jewish transformation. In escalating order, they are: 1. Internal threat of assimilation of American Jews (affecting less than 50% of worldwide Jews). 2. Internal threat of post-Zionism in Israel (a single bullet that can eliminate 100% of Judaism). 3. External threat of Israel-bashing (the 2,300-year-conflict with Judaism). The architecture of Judaism 2.0 that was suitable for dealing with the threats of the last 2,000 years is not relevant to addressing today’s three existential threats to Judaism.

It is imperative to internalize that the core nature of the threat to Judaism has shifted.

Secularization is no longer an existential threat to Judaism because Judaism is already secular. The pool of Jews that could be secularized has been depleted:

American Jews are already secular. An estimated 85-90% of American Jews are non-observant. The majority of Israeli Jews are either religious or traditional and they make up the potential “pool” for further secularization of Judaism. But even if mass secularization of those groups occurred, they would turn to be secular Israelis, and unlike their American counterparts, secular Israelis are not at risk of evaporation. As discussed, they are very much connected to Judaism through Zionism.

Furthermore, the overwhelming majority of Israeli seculars are not atheist, agnostic or anti-relig...

However, denationalization is the process through which secular Judaism could cease to exist, and hence, Judaism would cease to exist.

When Jews were a close-knit nation-religion, either of those two pillars of Judaism were sufficient to hold the Jews together.

But since Jews are now emancipated and most of them are now secular, the loss of their ethnological national affiliation could mean the elimination of the remaining connector to Judaism.

The threat of Denationalization manifests itself in three ways:

Denationalization threat in the Diaspora: Assimilation

Jews in America are on a trajectory of evaporation becaus...

This is a result of a process of denationalization that occurred shortly after the Jews arrived in America, reducing the Jewish nati...

Denationalization threat in Israel: Post-Zionism