DOCSLIB.ORG

Most Israelis Support Equal Recognition for Non-Orthodox Rabbis

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Most Israelis Support Equal Recognition for Non-Orthodox Rabbis Most Israelissupportequalrecognitionfornon-Orthodoxrabbis Pollfindsthat 71 opposeRivlin'scancellationofdisabledbar mitzva ceremony due to Conservative rabbi'sattendance By SAM SOKOL sentingthe Reform and Con- ever, with the Conservative various marginalizedsectors servative movements should movement accusingRivlin of of Israelisociety,even as they majorityof Israelissupports be treated the same as their "an act of cruelty"in having may often be controversial equalgovernment treatment Orthodox counterparts. "reneged"on his offerto allow in his own politicalcircle,he of Orthodox and non-Ortho- The presidentand the Maso- both an Orthodox and Con- repeatedlydemonstrates that dox rabbis, accordingto poll rti Movement (Conservative servative rabbi to co-officiate. he has huge blind spotwhen released by the religiousequal- Judaism in Israel)have been "Unfortunately,religious itcomes to freedom of religion ityadvocacyNGO Hiddush on at odds since negotiationsto figuresseeking to advance and the equaltreatment of all Monday. hold bar mitzva ceremony for their agendathroughthe cyn- streams of Judaism,"he said. Out of the 507 Israelisques- disabled schoolchildren at his ical use of children refused to Asked about the poll,Rabbi tioned by Rafi Smith Polling, officialresidence fellthrough respond to every framework JulieSchonfeld, executive vice 71 percent stated that they earlierthis month. proposed by the President's presidentof the Conserva- believe President Reuven The celebration,initiallyslat- Office,and we are saddened by tive movement's Rabbinical Rivlin "was wrong to cancel ed to be held in Rehovot, was this approach,"the President's Assembly,told The Jerusalem the bar mitzva ceremony for canceled by Mayor Rahamim Office said in statement at Post that she believes it shows disabled children scheduled to Malul in April because he the time. that "there is tremendous be held at the President's Resi- objectedto itbeingconducted Commenting on the results, openness, even eagerness, in dence, onlybecause one of the in Conservative synagogue Hiddush CEO Rabbi Uri Regev Israelisocietyfor pluralistic prayer leaders is Conservative by Conservative rabbi. called on the presidentto approachto Judaism." rabbi." The Masorti Movement "reconsider his decision to "President Rivlin has won- Oppositionto Rivlin in this approached the Diaspora cancel the ceremony." derful opportunityto bringhis matter was higheramong sec- Affairs Ministryand asked it "The presidentmust not act message of unityand civilityin ular respondents )%39(and to find suitable solution, as if he is the exclusive pres- Israelisocietyto the streams, Soviet immigrants )%48(than and the ministry proposed ident of Orthodoxy,to the and we would welcome his among traditionalJews )%47(the ceremony be held at the exclusion of the largeststreams leadershipin that arena." and the national religiousPresident's Residence and of world Jewry.It'stime for Rivlin has had run-ins with .)%76( began discussions with the President Rivlin to get over non-Orthodox streams before, Twenty-nine percent of President's Office to bringthis his disdain for religiousplural- havingfamouslytold an Israe- respondentssupportedRivlin. about. ism. It'svery unfortunate that li newspaper in 1989 that Fifty-ninepercentof respon- The two sides were unable to while the presidentexpresses Reform is "idol worshipand dents agreedthat rabbis repre come to an agreement, how such praiseworthyconcern for not Judaism." Reform and Conservative leaders indicated concern when he was chosen as pres- ident, but he has since made overtures to mend the divide, seekingto assure Diaspora leaders in several forums that he is not againstthe largest Jewishdenominations outside of Israel. JeremySharon contributed to thisreport.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Israel and America 2020: Spanning the Divide
    Israel and America 2020: Spanning the Divide Opening Plenary Sponsored by to Find Common Ground Lynn and Les Bider Jodie and Steven Fishman Andrea and Glenn Sonnenberg Closing Plenary Sponsored by Sunday, January 26, 2020 Lori and Rob Goodman Israel and America 2020: Spanning the Divide to Find Common Ground Stephen Wise Temple is excited to host the first Southern California Z3 Conference. In a time of growing disconnect between the American Jewish community and Israel, Z3 provides a means through which the dialogue and mutual interdependence can be strengthened. We are two vibrant centers of Jewish life and our different yet complementary trajectories along the continuum of Jewish living provides each of our communities with strengths and insights that benefit us both. After 71 years of existence, the State of Israel has reached a population of seven million which is roughly equal to the size of the American Jewish community. The dynamic of the movement of immigrants back and forth (by choice) reveals that both nations provide both their Jewish inhabitants with meaningful and secure homes. At the same time, the episodic resurgence of tensions and the associated insecurity reminds us that ultimately we need each other. And yet, Jewish life is not just about responding to threats. Our communities possess vast resources of talent, wisdom, innovation, and are highly educated. We have the capacity to collectively solve the challenges of our world even as we build Jewish life. Z3 is about searching for ways that we can share our strengths, leverage our vast resources, and secure Jewish life for the foreseeable future.
    [Show full text]
  • Israel and Yom Kippur
    Israel and Yom Kippur My favorite day in Israel (especially in Tel Aviv) has always been Yom Kippur. A day of national quiet. The kind of quiet that allows for reflection and introspection, even for secular Jews who don’t express their Jewishness through synagogue prayer. A day of absolute rest for cars, trains, planes and other fossil fuel-burning vehicles. A day for bicycles and rollerblades and feet on otherwise empty streets and highways. So much so that some Israeli environmentalists have started to embrace the day as an example of what societies can do to reduce their carbon footprint. But perhaps what’s most amazing is that the quiet of Yom Kippur has been achieved without the intrusion of religion into politics, without legislative fiat. True, laws have been passed that keep businesses closed and buses off the streets on Yom Kippur, but that’s the case for Shabbat in Israel as well, when the roads are still inundated with private cars, cabs and the shared sherut taxis. Compare the near-unanimous, unlegislated and largely harmonious observance of this automotive abstinence by Israel’s Jewish public with the yearly tensions generated around other holidays – e.g., when ultra-orthodox politicians seek to prevent all Israelis from eating hametz on Passover by coercive means (by banning its sale in stores), not persuasion. Rather than encouraging a “kosher Passover”, the ultra-orthodox diktat promotes hostility, resentment and resistance. As Israeli Reform Rabbi Uri Regev, of Hiddush – For Religious Freedom and Equality, noted in the Forward recently, “if [religious] coercion were removed,” far from undermining Jewish identity in Israel, “new springs of Jewish creativity and growth would bloom”.
    [Show full text]
  • Contributor Biographies
    155 Contributor Biographies Rabbi Rachel Adler, PhD, is the Ellenson Professor of Modern Jewish Thought at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. She was one of the first to bring feminist perspectives to bear on Jewish texts and law. Her book Engendering Judaism (1998) is the first by a female theologian to win a National Jewish Book Award for Jewish Thought. Hadeel Azzam-Jalajel, who was raised in Nazareth, was at the time of writing this essay co-director of the Racism Crisis Center and a lawyer with a private legal practice. She is a grad- uate of the Law School of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She interned at the civil rights organization Hamoked: Center for the Defense of the Individual, and since passing the bar in March of 2014, she has focused on administrative and constitu- tional law. Hadeel is a social and political activist, and a member of the leadership of the Jewish-Arab movement Standing Together, which works to promote peace, equality, and social justice. She also works as a content manager in both Hebrew and Arabic for the movement. Ruth Calderon, PhD, is a former member of the Israeli Knesset, former vice-speaker of the Knesset of the opposition party Yesh Atid, a Jewish educator, and Talmud scholar. In 1989, she founded Beit Midrash ELUL and, in 1996, the secular Beit Midrash for He- brew Culture, ALMA. She served as the head of the Division for Culture and Education of the Israeli National Library and on the faculty of the Mandel Institute for Nonprofit Leadership, where she also belonged to the first cohort of students to finish the program.
    [Show full text]
  • Focus on U.S
    foFcedueras tioon n WINTER 2013 VOL XVI, NO 1 SHEVAT / ADAR 5773 We Are Serving More Community Members Than Ever Before! Locally, more than 10,000 people each year rely on the Federation and Jewish Family Service. We help Holocaust survivors, isolated shut-ins, and at-risk seniors daily. We pro - vide counseling services and crisis intervention for people facing hardships. We support every Jewish organization in Santa Barbara. We support Israel. We support people in need wherever they are. And that’s just the beginning. Your continued support is greatly appreciated and makes a real impact and meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve. Thank you! T T A Y W A R U A L “Sharing the Shekels” with Community Shul members David and Mico Russo O T O H P S T T W A E Y R C W Y A E R S U L E A L K L-R: Stephen Katz of Atherton Lane Advisers, L-R: Rabbi Steve Cohen, Louise & Alan Wyner, Speaker Gary Kenzer, Michael Towbes Rabbi Uri Regev Thanks to sponsor Atherton Lane Advisers, Federation partnered with Congregation B’nai Federation hosted an event with Gary Kenzer , B’rith, Isla Vista Minyan, the Israel Committee CEO of HonestReporting . We also thank of SB, and SB Hillel for our first Scholar-in- other 2012 event sponsors: Gelson’s, Lanspeed, Residence weekend. Rabbi Uri Regev , of Montecito Bank & Trust, Santa Barbara Bank & Hiddush, held discussions around the community Trust, Stolaroff Foundation, Wilson Printing, and about the need for religious liberty and freedom Young Adult (YAD) Volunteers L-R: (back) Rich Cain, Wyatt Technology.
    [Show full text]
  • Directories Lists Obituaries National Jewish Organizations*
    Directories Lists Obituaries National Jewish Organizations* UNITED STATES Organizations are listed according to functions as follows: Community Relations 645 Cultural 650 Israel-Related 658 Overseas Aid 671 Religious, Educational Organizations 673 Schools, Institutions 685 Social, Mutual Benefit 697 Social Welfare 699 Note also cross-references under these headings: Professional Associations 704 Women's Organizations 705 Youth and Student Organizations 705 Canada 705 COMMUNITY RELATIONS AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE (1906). The Jacob Blaustein Building, 165 E. 56 St., AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR JUDAISM (1943). NYC 10022. (212)751-4000. FAX: (212) PO Box 9009, Alexandria, VA 22304. 750-0326. Pres. Harold Tanner; Exec. Dir. (703)836-2546. Pres. Stephen L. Naman; David A. Harris. Protects the rights and Exec. Dir. Allan C. Brownfeld. Seeks to freedoms of Jews the world over; combats advance the universal principles of a bigotry and anti-Semitism and promotes Judaism free of nationalism, and the na- democracy and human rights for all; tional, civic, cultural, and social inte- works for the security of Israel and deep- gration into American institutions of ened understanding between Americans Americans of Jewish faith. Issues of the and Israelis; advocates public-policy po- American Council for Judaism; Special In- sitions rooted in American democratic terest Report, (WWW.ACJNA.ORG) values and the perspectives of Jewish her- *The information in this directory is based on replies to questionnaires circulated by the editors. Web site addresses, where provided, appear at end of entries. 645 646 / AMERICAN JEWISH YEAR BOOK, 2002 itage; and enhances the creative vitality of ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE OF B'NAI the Jewish people.
    [Show full text]
  • Teach-In on Israel SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11 9AM-4:30PM
    THE ISRAEL COMMITTEE OF SANTA BARBARA PRESENTS Twelfth Annual Community-Wide Teach-In On Israel SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11 9AM-4:30PM Join the community for a wonderful day of learning, schmoozing and fabulous food! Fantastic speakers on Israeli culture, history, politics and more. 9:00AM DOORS OPEN & BREAKFAST 12:15PM LUNCH 9:30AM WELCOME 1:30PM AFTERNOON KEYNOTE SPEAKER 9:35AM VETERAN’S DAY OBSERVANCE BEN RYBERG Boycotts, Divestment, and BOB ROTHENBERG, CAPTAIN (RET) USAF Sanctions: A Global Challenge EVIE STEINBERG Benjamin Ryberg is the Director of Research and Evie Steinberg was born in Los Angeles, California. Chief Operating Officer at The Lawfare Project. Together, she and her husband of 35 years, Stuart, Based in New York City, The Lawfare Project is a raised three children, Max, Jake, and Paige in legal think tank and international pro-Israel litigation fund committed Woodland Hills, California. Evie and her family had no to protecting the civil and human rights of Jewish communities prior connection to Israel, until their eldest son Max, worldwide. From forcing Kuwait Airways to cancel half of its at the age of 22, joined the IDF as a Lone Soldier in flight paths based on its refusal to fly Israeli passport holders, to December of 2012, after a life-changing Taglit-Birthright trip with his nullifying numerous municipal BDS resolutions throughout Spain, to siblings. Once he was drafted, Evie’s only contact with Max was via challenging a discriminatory French labeling requirement on Israeli cell phone and social media. Tragically, on July 20, 2014, Max was imports, to enforcing the rights of Jewish college students in the face killed in Gaza during Tzuk Eitan, also known as “Operation Protective of virulent anti-Semitism on campus, The Lawfare Project zealously Edge.” From that day on, Israel has supported and embraced her advances justice for the Jewish people.
    [Show full text]
  • Temple Sinai Oakland
    BULLETIN Temple Sinai Oakland 24 ADAR I – 24 ADAR II 5779 / MARCH 2019 / ISSUE 136 / OAKLANDSINAI.ORG HAPPY PURIM! Erev Purim Celebration Wednesday, March 20 5:30pm Pizza Dinner, Stern Hall RSVP for dinner at oaklandsinai.org 6:15pm Megillah Reading, and Purim Spiel: Harriet Potterspiel, Sanctuary The Annual Fantastical Super-Fun Exquisite Amazing PURIM CARNIVAL Sunday, March 24 Incredible Purim Spiel: Harriet Potterspiel, Challenging Games, Thrilling Prizes, Great Food—FUN! FUN! FUN! 9:30 – 10:30am Carnival for Kids Pre-K through 2nd Grade 10:30 – 11:30am Purim Spiel 11:30am – 1:00pm Carnival for Kids 3rd Grade and Higher oin the choirs of Temple Sinai in Oakland and St. Mark’s Episcopal JChurch in Berkeley as we explore the power of the Psalm texts. Featuring Cantor Ilene Keys George Anton Emblom, Choir Director Mizmor Shir! Musicians Friday, March 15, 7:30pm, Sanctuary Sunday, March 17, 9:45am St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2300 Bancroft Way, Berkeley For more information contact Cantor Keys [email protected]. D’Var Torah TEMPLE SINAI usic has been associated with Jewish worship ever since the Main Office(510) 451-3263 MFirst Temple Period. In fact, it was King David who brought music to worship when he composed the Book of Psalms which later SARA KLEIN became the liturgy that accompanied the music in the Temple in Congregational President: ext. 403 Jerusalem. [email protected] The Book of Psalms holds an exalted place in the biblical canon, JACQUELINE MATES-MUCHIN coming first in the Ketuvim (Book of Writings). It is divided into Five Senior Rabbi: ext.
    [Show full text]
  • Does Israel Meet the Challenge of Being Both a Jewish and Democratic State?
    Distinguished Speaker Series Co-sponsored by the Global Center and The Jewish Law Student Association DOES ISRAEL MEET THE CHALLENGE OF BEING BOTH A JEWISH AND DEMOCRATIC STATE? Thursday, September 14, 2017 Noon - 1:00 p.m. Seminar Room 4/5 Lunch will be provided RSVP to [email protected] Rabbi Uri Regev Rabbi Uri Regev is an internationally renowned leader and advocate of religious liberty and the liberal movements of Judaism in his native Israel and around the world. Rabbi Regev serves as the President and CEO of an educational and advocacy Israel-Diaspora partnership, “Freedom Of Religion for Israel” and of its Israeli counterpart, “Hiddush – For Religious Freedom and Equality”, which he founded in 2009. For seven years [2002-2008] he served as president of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, the global umbrella organization of the Progressive, Reform, Liberal and Reconstructionist movements. As head of the World Union, Rabbi Regev worked to strengthen modern, pluralistic Jewish life and democracy in the Jewish state and throughout the world. Prior to assuming leadership of the World Union, Rabbi Regev served as founding chair, and later as executive director and legal counsel, of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), the public and advocacy arm of the Reform movement in Israel. Rabbi Regev has also served on the boards of many other major Jewish organizations, including the World Zionist Organization, the Jewish Agency, Rabbis for Human Rights, the Overseers of the Jerusalem School of the Hebrew Union College, the Institute for Progressive Halacha, the Central Archives of the Jewish People, the Center for the Research of Democracy at the University of Haifa, the Re’ut School and Institute for Pluralistic Training, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, the Israel Amuta of the San Francisco Jewish Federation and others.
    [Show full text]
  • FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Hiddush Reacts to the Government's Approval of the Kotel Compromise
    Like 52 Tweet Share Click to view this email in a browser FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Hiddush reacts to the Government's approval of the Kotel compromise: Hiddush President Rabbi Uri Regev said that much credit is due to the Reform movement, the Conservative movement, and the Women of the Wall for making the painful sacrifice of ceasing their demands of being allowed to hold egalitarian services and women’s minyanim at the traditional Western Wall plaza. While a section of the Wall, which hitherto functioned as an archeological garden, and had never operated under the dictates of the Orthodox rabbinic establishment, has now been designated as a pluralistic prayer space, it must be underscored that this compromise stipulates that the main Western Wall prayer plaza will officially remain under ultra­Orthodox authority. Regev noted that "In recent months, Prime Minister Netanyahu has sent very mixed messages regarding the equal status of the non­Orthodox streams in Israel ­ one for external consumption, abroad, and one for domestic Israeli policy. When Netanyahu speaks with leaders of the Diaspora Jewish community, he voices his support for equality, while the persistent discrimination and denial of key religious freedoms and equality within Israel only continues to degrade. The Ministry of Education’s recent, public freezing of funds designated in the State budget for Jewish renewal, intended for non­Orthodox and secular educational initiatives, serves as a clear reminder of this. The Western Wall compromise, which requires no concession on the part of the ultra­ Orthodox, only further highlights the willingness of PM Netanyahu to trade away the core values of religious freedom and equality, in exchange for the religious parties' votes, necessary to keep him and his party in power.
    [Show full text]
  • Berkshire Jewish Voices
    Non-Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Pittsfield, MA Berkshire Permit No. 19 JEWISHA publication of the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires, serving V the Berkshires and surrounding ICE NY, CT and VT Vol. 27, No. 6 Tammuz/Av/Elul 5779 July 29 to September 15, 2019 jewishberkshires.org The Race to Save Sephardi The Posthumous Landscape Jewish Heritage in the Middle East Yiddish Book Center exhibit documents remnants of and North Africa Jewish life in Eastern Europe Moroccan Jews in the early 20th century GREAT BARRINGTON – On Friday, Berkshires program will take place PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID KAUFMAN / COURTESY KAUFMAN / COURTESY PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID OF THE YIDDISH BOOK CENTER August 9 at 10:45 a.m., Knosh & at Hevreh of Southern Berkshire at Knowledge welcomes Jason Guberman, 10:45 a.m., and will be followed by “The Posthumous Landscape: Jewish Historical Sites in Poland and the executive director of the American lunch. Please note: If you would like Sephardi Federation, who will share to have lunch, you must RSVP and pay Western Ukraine” is an exhibition of photographs taken by David Kaufman the dramatic behind-the-scenes story in advance. Email federation@jewish- that is on view through September 30 at the Yiddish Book Center in of how a diverse international team berkshires.org, or call (413) 442-4360, Amherst. Kaufman's large scale, highly-detailed images of Jewish life and races against time to document sites ext. 10, to RSVP or if you would like architecture remaining in Eastern Europe are a testament to the rich, varied and memories of the last generation information about this new policy.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 History of the Association of Reform Zionists of America a Rabbinical
    History of the Association of Reform Zionists of America A Rabbinical Thesis by Rabbi Michael Satz The American Reform Movement has had a mixed history when it comes to its attitudes to Zionism. The 1885 Pittsburgh Platform clearly states, “[We] therefore expect neither a return to Palestine . nor the restoration of any of the laws concerning the Jewish state.” With the influence of pro-Zionist rabbis like Abba Hillel Silver and Stephen S. Wise, by 1937 the Columbus Platform of the Central Conference of American Rabbis reads, “We affirm the obligation of all Jewry to aid in its [Palestine's] up-building as a Jewish homeland by endeavoring to make it not only a haven of refuge for the oppressed but also a center of Jewish culture and spiritual life.” In a little over fifty years the Reform Movement changed from an anti-Zionist stance to one that was supportive of both political and cultural Zionist thought, but it did not yet advocate for a Jewish state. By the 1970’s the Reform Movement had not only fully accepted the State of Israel, but was seeking to influence its nature. Israel had been in existence for two decades, and there was a sense of euphoria about its strength after the 1967 Six Day War. This is reflected in the 1976 CCAR platform: “We are bound to . the newly reborn State of Israel by innumerable religious and ethnic ties . We have both a stake and a responsibility in building the State of Israel, assuring its security and defining its Jewish character.” One year later the Union of American Hebrew Congregations decided to step into the political world of the Zionist movement by establishing the Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA).
    [Show full text]
  • 10-9 JS 01.Indd
    JS-1* LEARNING GERMAN IN GERMANY: A STUDENT’S DIARY page 6 A CONVERSATION WITH ITZHAK PERLMAN page 10 REFLECTIONS FROM A JERUSALEM FUNERAL page 14 PRIME MINISTERS: THE NEXT GENERATION page 37 OCTOBER 9, 2015 VOL. LXXXV NO. 4 $1.00 84 2015 NORTH JERSEY THEJEWISHSTANDARD.COM Will freedom ring? Israel’s Rabbi Uri Regev fights for the right to marry CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED SERVICE CHANGE Teaneck, NJ 07666 NJ Teaneck, 1086 Teaneck Road Teaneck 1086 Jewish Standard Jewish JS-28 Cover Story Freeing the Jews Rabbi brings mission of reforming Israeli chief rabbinate to Teaneck shul Larry yudeLson be in white. recognizing civil marriage and Reform It is not. and Conservative rabbis conducting mar- n the map of the world that Uri This map ranks countries based on free- riages,” Rabbi Regev said. Regev has prepared, Israel lies in dom to marry, and Israel, like most Muslim In 1986, Rabbi Regev was one of the the middle of a sea of black that countries, gets a zero. first Israelis to be ordained by the Reform extends from Algeria in the west to Israel, like many of its neighbors, has movement in Israel. But in recent years, PakistanI in the east. Beyond the countries inherited its system of marriage from Rabbi Regev has found himself with labeled in black are the countries in gray, the Turkish empire that ruled it for cen- Orthodox allies. These include Rabbi from Namibia through Vietnam. America, turies before the First World War. In that Shlomo Riskin, the former leader of Man- Europe, Russia, Australia, and most of system, marriage is delegated to the offi- hattan’s Lincoln Square Synagogue and South America are white.
    [Show full text]