The Chief Rabbinate under Rabbi David Lau has instructed all the public mikvahs in Israel to not permit any conversions from any movement [link in Hebrew], and in that manner to prevent Reform conversions to Judaism. This in the aftermath of the Israeli Supreme Court decision two weeks ago permitting conversions in public mikvahs by all of the streams equally. The Orthodox … [Read more...] about The right of Jews to control our own religious lives
Members' Posts
The “Disputatious” Kotel
The so-called compromise over prayer access to the Kotel has turned been attacked as giving away too much, as irrelevant to the real religious dispute in Israel, and as exclusionary of Orthodox women who refuse to give up their praying place. It has been lauded as a great advance, as a first in the legal recognition by the State of Israel of Liberal Judaism, as a triumph after … [Read more...] about The “Disputatious” Kotel
The Supreme Court landmark ruling to allow non-Orthodox converts access to all Mikva’ot in Israel – There is more to it than you may think by Rabbi Uri Regev
You may download my highlighted version of the Supreme Court ruling here. This unanimous ruling of the Supreme Court is an important addition to the chain of rulings that uphold the principles of religious freedom & equality. Its importance is not only to the matter at hand (access to the public mikva’ot for the purpose of non-Orthodox conversions), but also for future … [Read more...] about The Supreme Court landmark ruling to allow non-Orthodox converts access to all Mikva’ot in Israel – There is more to it than you may think by Rabbi Uri Regev
Israel cannot fulfill her role as the truly Jewish State with the Rabbanut in control.
A few years ago a friend from the congregation called to say that Israel had become a regular topic in her home since her daughter's birthright trip, and the experience reenvigorated her intermarried family's Judaism. I told her how delighted I was, and then asked, "You know I speak about Israel regularly from the pulpit. Why the change now?" She said, "Oh, Mark, as soon as I … [Read more...] about Israel cannot fulfill her role as the truly Jewish State with the Rabbanut in control.
The Kotel agreement – which path shall we choose?
Since the beginning of the rabbinic era Jews have embraced the ideal of creative debate, makhloket l'shem shamayim (M. Avot 5:17), and contrasted it with the political notion of a conflict for self-aggrandizing and strickly political reasons, like Korach's rebellion against Moses (Numbers 16). The Report of the Advisory Team for the Issue of Prayer Arrangements at the … [Read more...] about The Kotel agreement – which path shall we choose?