Page 6 LJ Today
Chairs
September/October 2025
The case for learned optimism Former LJ Chair Lucian J Hudson gave this rousing address at the final ever Liberal Judaism AGM I WOULD like to start my speech by thanking Karen Newman, the Chair of Liberal Judaism, for such a warm welcome. As a past Chair myself, I congratulate you and Rabbi Charley Baginsky on the leadership you have shown at such a critical and potentially far-reaching time for our Movement. When I was Chair from 2009 to 2015, the work I did with Rabbi Danny Rich on the matter of closer alignment of Reform and Liberal Judaism, which my successors Simon Benscher and Ruth Seager then built on, did pave the way. Given the state of the world and our place as Jews within it, my theme for this speech is ‘Optimism or pessimism: the case for learned optimism’. Some of you will recall the old Jewish joke, What’s the difference between an optimistic Jew and a pessimistic one? The pessimistic one says, “Oh, things are bad, really bad, they really can’t get any worse”. The optimistic Jew adds, “Oh, yes, they can!” We have every reason to celebrate, but in the spirit of our tradition, we can also challenge – ourselves and others – provided this is done in a spirit of understanding and inquiry; we can critique and renew our commitment to continuity and change. It’s clear to me that if we want more of a voice and influence, now and in years to come, there is not only safety in numbers, but also strength. Where we add significant value, to the Jewish community and wider society, is that we live that slogan used by a famous brand of beer: we are a Movement that reaches parts that others cannot. Whether it’s an ethical, religious, community, culture or education stance, I would ask us to remember this. Yes, power matters in this world – but so does influence, the right kind of influence, the influence to help people better to understand what’s really going on. Ours is a Movement that thrives on the criticality of relationships, that most human of phenomena. We are Jews, but we also have other identities. Let’s see, hear and feel the human in all our policies, deliberations, decisions, successes and setbacks.
We are creatures and custodians of a Jewish enlightenment: to think freely is to think critically and creatively. Let us never forget this as part of our inheritance. We are part of a long tradition challenging theological and secular authority, often persuading, influencing, sometimes confronting. We know this world is increasingly polarised, if not fragmented. But can we, could we, be a source of cohesion, catalysts for change that has people at its heart? Can we be active peacemakers, recognising there is also a need to fight, and fight hard? We know there is turbulence and often a deep need for certainty: but can we enable people to live with uncertainty, keep their minds and hearts open? Can we work with what knowledge we hold, but also embrace the liminal? There is opportunity in conflict, in tension, in not knowing. Should we not be the grit in the oyster that produces the pearl? What I love about our approach to life is that, at our best, we see the extraordinary in the ordinary. Small steps matter. They give us the confidence to take bigger ones. As I grow older, alas, I do acknowledge there is evil in the world. Equally, I try, however hard, to see that there are risks idealising or demonising individuals and peoples. In my career, I have been taught to become ‘professionally paranoid’. I don’t think anything is lost by being vigilant, alert rather than alarmed; but the biggest gains are made through trust, creating trust and building it, recognising that trust is the regulation of one’s dependence on the other. Not surprisingly, we can never be entirely independent, not should we be totally dependent or inter-dependent. The term ‘liberal’ has often been awkward for us, not least because we are not party political. But liberal, progressive values matter to us, even though what it means to be liberal – lower case L - has and will change. If everything is permissible, nothing is permissible. Boundaries matter, but these can be negotiated and renegotiated, if we respect others, if we respect process. The difference between an adherent of liberalism and their arch opponent is that the liberal can and should say: “OK, on this point, liberalism sucks!” If we follow the wisdom of Solomon, there is a time to be emphatic and a time to be more nuanced in our judgments. There is no substitute for the exercise of judgment, even if judgment can prove faulty.
Being genuinely open and receptive to what is unknown and different, to embrace the stranger in us and in others, can be a source of growth and development. Being too liberal has produced a backlash. Values come into conflict, and the combination of principle and pragmatism often serves us well, if only because we can never be quite sure until we have lived and experienced the changes we have adopted. Ours is a singular Movement, accountable and responsible, working with and through others. But we are what we are, and need to have scope to become something even better, committed to enabling the realising of potential that exists in all of us. I salute this leadership of Liberal Judaism - and Reform - so ably advised by Dr Ed Kessler, for turning into reality a vision I and others have had for many years of showing that collaboration adds value, especially if it is purposeful and does not gloss over nor duck the issues. Ours is a Movement which has never stood still. Our endeavours don’t finish with our decision to create one Movement. The work carries on. In some senses, it has only just started. Our tradition is defined by a questing and questioning spirit. I first heard this apt phrase from my predecessor as Chair, Nigel Cole. Yes, we value tradition, but also innovation. The composer Gustav Mahler is quoted as saying that tradition is the handing over of flames, not ashes. Critical to our evaluation of risk and opportunity is a mindset, as well as values and behaviours, that bridge what we espouse with what we practise. Finally… how does this make me a learnt/learned optimist? I have learnt that pessimists often happen to be more accurate, sadly, than optimists. But I have also learnt that optimists often achieve more. Why? They set themselves objectives, and withstand setbacks and disappointments better. Many of you queried 20 years ago: why should such a distributed organisation as Liberal Judaism have a ‘strategy’? Some asked why try again at working towards a closer union with Reform? My answer then, and it has been proved by experience, especially since October 7th, never has it been more important to have a clear, credible and compelling voice, both within our community and outside it. Quiet voice or loud voice, we should first listen, but then choose our moment and be heard. Hopefully, I can still make a contribution. We all can.