Please click on the thumbnails below to read our Rabbis’ responses to the latest articles in the Jewish Report, defaming Progressive Jews.
Tag: Progressive Judaism (Page 2 of 2)
Women Praying at Robinson’s Arch – (C) WIKIMEDIA
Rabbi Denise Eger, the current president of the Reform movement’s Central Conference of American Rabbis (the oldest and largest rabbinical organization in North America). Recently wrote a very interesting article in the Jewish world magazine “The Kotel compromise: A time for rejoicing”. She wrote that the negotiations are a victory even in compromise.
“For the first time, the Israeli government recognized the authentic ritual and religious needs of those of us who believe in egalitarian prayer and women’s equality. This is historic because the combined voices of interfaith cooperation from the U.S. and Israeli liberal communities, demanded the Israeli government acknowledge that the Jewish world in Israel and outside of Israel is diverse. There are many ways to be authentically Jewish. “
I strongly agree that there is more than one way to be a Jew, from personal experience I am very proud to be part of our movement, all it stands for, and am proud of being a second generation Reform Rabbi, following my Mothers footsteps in this movement. It would still be naive of me to say there aren’t many challenges, there are still many for us to deal with. The building of this new egalitarian space has not really begun yet, and in many senses it’s a long way off. Unfortunately with all the exciting news we received out of this week from Israel, there was a less happy event that you may or may not have taken note of.
Deputy Israeli Education Minister Meir Porush, stepped up the tone of recent attacks in Israel against the feminist prayer group Women of the Wall, saying “The woman of the wall should be “thrown to the dogs. The Reform are responsible for the terrible intermarriage that we’ve been witnessing in the United States.” Let me just remind you that Meir Porush – the deputy education minister, is no less than expressing himself like a typical anti-Semite,” he is quoted by the NRG news site as saying: “Only in Israel can a deputy minister give voice to invective against other Jews and remain in office. My sincere hope, is that something will be done urgently and this kind of minister will not be representing Jewish people in the Knesset.
With all the bitterness this kind of rhetoric sends out, lets us celebrate and rejoice with gratitude the wonderful work of Anat Hoffman and many others who have worked so hard to bring this victory to our movement and our faith. May we all be able to pray in the near future in an egalitarian prayer space in the Kotel.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Julia Margolis
As Moses is about to climb Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments, the Israelites gather at the base of the mountain, and affirm their commitment to fulfilling God’s commandments. Interestingly enough, they have not yet heard what those commandments will be! Nevertheless, they make a commitment to obey God’s word: “All that the Eternal has spoken we will do!” (Exodus 19:8).
I like to think of the Ten Commandments as Ancient Israel’s mission statement. God and Moses both knew the Children of Israel needed a document that stated the purpose of the people, and pointed them towards their destiny. It had to be a statement broad enough to encompass a variety of interpretations, yet compelling enough to be shared by everyone.
The variety of opinions concerning the Ten Commandments today testifies to the sheer power and success of this most influential document. The Ten Commandments formed the Israelite people: a disparate people with competing agendas, into a unified nation with a shared purpose.
Having a shared purpose defines community. For us at Bet David, it is our bond with the Jewish tradition and all Jews, and our understanding that all humans are equal, regardless of race, gender identity, age, disability, national origin, and sexual orientation. Our goal is to make this world a better place – step by step, and we share this with many Jews all over the world.
But reality proves that not everyone is sharing those values with us, and too often these others are fellow Jews. Last week’s Jewish Report (http://goo.gl/x69hI6) contains one of those hurtful examples in which the respect we offer to others, is rudely rejected. Vilifying progressive rabbis as “uneducated”, and not worthy of being addressed as rabbis is outrageous, because it destroys the idea of Klal Israel, one Jewish people. It uses the same methods anti-Semites use in their approach to de-legitimise Israel as an unworthy state. But as much as the anti-Semites are wrong, the author of this statement in the JR is wrong in his approach to make us second class Jews. With his hate-speech, he is leaving behind the common ground our ancestors once created by accepting the Torah.
We have reached out to the Jewish Report, and some of us have sent letters to the editor. Hopefully, this will have an impact. Whatever the outcome may be, we will continue to strive for equal rights and opportunities for all Jews regardless of their background. As progressive Jews we can be proud of what I call our mission statement, our modern interpretation of the Ten Commandments.
Shabbat Shalom – Rabbi Adrian M Schell