1929-2012 Eighty-Three Y Ears of Service to Canadian Jewry
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JULY -AUGUST 2012 1929-2012 Eighty-Three Years of ServiceYears 1929-2012to CanadianEighty-Three Jewry (Cover story on page 2) 2 The Jewish Standard, July 2012 A Small Step Forward For Israel’s Reform and Conservative Rabbis MICHAEL HAYMAN We have long deplored the ultra- that “there is more than one way to be PUBLISHER AND EDITOR Orthodox attempts to dictate the terms of Jewish, even in Israel”. United Torah Jewish life in Israel. With a political system Judaism MK Yisrael Eichler described JULIUS HAYMAN that currently allows for the exercise of the decision as “another proof that the power far beyond what their numerical legal system serves as soldiers in the B.A., L.L.B. strength might justify, Israel’s haredi have Reform war against the Torah”. EDITOR 1937-2000 been able to keep other streams of Judaism, Reform Jews, he continued, were noth- on the periphery, regardless of whether the ing more than “Christian priests”. right or the left is in power. No one is sug- Added Moshe Gafni, chair of the Cover Story gesting, as a poster in Jerusalem did some Knesset Finance Committee: “All of a years ago, that religious Jews are “murder- sudden there is money for Reform and ous savages, bent on using their fangs to Conservative clowns for whom Judaism The Israeli Guide execute non-religious Jews” at the Western is a mockery”. Dog Center for the Blind is Wall. But their stubborn inflexibility on The Orthodox defiance probably one of the great grassroots issues that affect the vast majority of Israelis didn’t surprise Reform and Conservative organizations in Israel. - Reform, Conservative and secular - has leaders. It certainly did not deflate their Prior to its establishment gone far beyond what some might see as spirits. Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the the only way for visually expressions of healthy debate in the demo- Union of Reform Judaism, has heralded impaired Israelis to obtain cratic process. the decision as a “watershed moment” for a guide dog was to travel Now, however, there is a ray of hope the non-Orthodox. MK Nitzan Horowitz abroad. Very few Israelis for Reform and Conservative Jews in Israel. (Meretz) called the announcement a “signifi- could take advantage of In 2005 Reform Rabbi Miri Gold petitioned cant step in the challenge for pluralism and this opportunity. In Israel’s High Court seeking equal funding freedom of religion”. And Reform Rabbi 1991, through the dedica- for non-Orthodox religious services. The Gilad Kariv called it a “first but significant tion of founder Noach petition asked that regional councils in out- step” that will “annul the deep discrimina- Braun and the financial lying communities be allowed to finance the tion of non-Orthodox streams in Israel”. help of Norman Leventhal salaries of the community leaders in the They reject the suggestion of some observers of Warrington, same way that hundreds of regional coun- that their “joy is tragically misplaced” and Pennsylvania, the Center cils, neighbourhoods and communities do are unfazed by the fact that the “concession” was founded and today for the male Orthodox rabbis they employ. is not based on a court ruling and could be offers new hope to at The availability of funding would, Reform ignored. least some of Israel’s and Conservative leaders argued, relieve A recent development in Israeli more than 27,000 regis- the roughly 250 rabbis of much of their politics offers further encouragement tered blind people. It costs fundraising needs and enable their move- to those seeking an Israel which is a $25,000 to train a guide ments to expand their reach. true amalgam of different religious dog; yet the dogs are pro- For seven years the State and even lifestyles. We are not totally comfort- vided free of charge. the Supreme Court seemed to use whatever able with the size of the recently formed Readers are encouraged to dilatory tactics they could to avoid a reso- coalition, although we are delighted go to www.ca.israel lution. At one point the State agreed to that Israel’s largest party, Kadima, is guidedog.org for more accept the term “community leaders”, but now part of the government. One of the information and to contact refused to recognize Reform and strengths of a democracy is that there is its Canadian office at Conservative rabbinates. A panel of always a government in waiting. The sara.israelguidedog@ Supreme Court Judges maintained that this new official Opposition Labor, with its rogers.com And no trip to did not go far enough and requested the still learning leader Shelly Yachimovich, Israel can possibly be com- intervention of Attorney General Yehuda has not even begun to show that it is plete without a visit to the Weinstein. Perhaps sensing the inevitable, ready to assume power. Still, we’ll Center in Beit Oved just out- he agreed to the definition “rabbis of a non- overcome our reservations if Netanyahu side Rehovot. - The Editor Orthodox community” and to equal wages. implements two key components of the To placate Shas’ Ya’akov Margi salaries will agreement with Kadima. The govern- ANITA SURMAN be paid through the Culture and Sports ment must eliminate, or at least radi- Editor Ministry and not his Religious Services cally amend, the Tal Law, which pro- General News Section Ministry. (Another petition before the High vides military exemption for haredi Court is seeking recognition of non- men. And it should immediately over- Orthodox rabbis in towns and cities. A rul- haul Israel’s unstable electoral system, ing is expected shortly.) making it more difficult for parties with The reaction from Israel’s ultra- little electoral strength to gain repre- Orthodox has been predictable. They have sentation in the knesset and the power no intention of accepting the principle to hold governments hostage. The Jewish Standard is published monthly in Toronto and Montreal by Michael Hayman, B.A., M.A., Editor and Publisher. 1912A Avenue Road, Toronto, Ontario M5M 4A1. (416) 537-2696; Printed and bound in Toronto, Canada by Regal Press Canada. Publication Mail Registration Number 40715545 e-mail: [email protected] The Jewish Standard, July 2012 3 THE WORLD IN REVIEW NEWS OF THE RECENT PAST IS REVIEWED By NOAH FREEDMAN New York Jewry that is challenged by pover- Google Translate was featured. In a scene Undergoing Change ty, by elements of disen- Needs New Editor which takes place in a gagement, and also cemetery a headstone is strengthened by diversity, Anyone familiar with visible in both English and One of the largest by growing areas of Jewish Hebrew. The Hebrew surveys ever taken in the the internet is aware of how involvement”. appears to be trying to say United States has revealed easy it is to translate from Other aspects of the “Beloved husband and some stark changes taking one language to another by study concluded that there father, dearly missed”. place among the 1.5 million going to “google translate”. is a big drop in affiliation Bad enough that the Jews living in New York Well, perhaps one should among non-Orthodox Jews Hebrew was written in City, Long Island and examine the translations and a lessoning commit- reverse and barely made Westchester. The number more carefully before carv- ment to Jewish life. Fewer any sense. But when read of Orthodox Jews is mush- ing them in stone. parents are sending their in the right direction rooming, increasing by We don’t know how children to Jewish Day things really got interest- more than 100,000 over the many readers watch Schools and philanthropy is ing. Instead of “he will be past decade. One third of Showtime’s ”Episodes” star- now being spread out dearly missed” the literal New York area Jews are ring Matt LeBlanc, he of between Jewish and non- translation into Hebrew Orthodox today and per- Friends fame. In a recent Jewish causes. was “he was pickled at haps even more significant episode a Jewish headstone great expense.” six out of ten Jewish chil- It was the eagle eye dren live in Orthodox of Hebrew Language homes. Services that caught the But the growth has unique translation. brought with it severe prob- lems. New York’s Jews are Twitter, Facebook poorer and less educated And Free Speech than they were a decade ago. In fact, the levels of On May 7 two poverty are unparalleled in media giants, Google and recent history. In 2002 Facebook, signed the 240,000 Jews in the New Interparliamentary Co-ali- York area lived below the tion for Combatting poverty line. In 2011, the Antisemitism. The agree- year of the study, 361,000 ment declares that both Jews were considered poor. sides will work together to Lack of education is one “build best practices for factor contributing to the understanding, reporting high levels of poverty. So, upon and responding to too, are large families with internet hate.” small children. What the Notably absent from authors of the study call the the signing was Twitter. “fluidity of households”, The company continues to Jewish families from diverse fall back on the right of backgrounds, is also a free speech. Its spokesper- major contributing factor. sons describe Twitter as The changing face of “the free speech wing of the New York and area Jewry free speech movement” and has political consequences refuse to submit to pres- as well. Many of the sure from governments or Orthodox lean heavily con- citizens groups, even when servative in contrast to the criminal or terror related “liberal” tradition of New matters are at issue. The York’s non-Orthodox. “We WHILE MUCH OF ISRAEL’S SECURITY PROBLEMS Simon Wiesenthal Center have a community” says are centered on the Gaza Border and the border won’t even give Twitter a F Steven M.Cohen, one of the grade when it comes to report’s three authors, “that with Egypt in the Sinai, ensuring that communi- fighting hate.