A recent detailed interview with Rabbi Shlomo Riskin appeared in the original Hebrew in Makor Rishon earlier this month, with select paragraphs translated into English below. Partial translation of Rabbi Riskin's interview "If I could ask God one thing, I would ask: How is it possible that the Talmud is the most pluralistic piece of literature, but those who study … [Read more...] about Comprehensive interview with Rabbi Shlomo Riskin in Israeli media
Food for thought
Marriage freedom advocacy: our most united effort
Eric Goldstein, CEO of UJA-Federation of New York, wrote in last week's Jerusalem Post [link] about the nature of Israeli society. Is Israel the homeland of all the Jewish people, in which all of us can live according to our understandings of Judaism, or is there one recognized Jewish stream and the others have little or no authority? Goldstein writes: From its birth, … [Read more...] about Marriage freedom advocacy: our most united effort
Standing Up to Hate by Rabbi Pamela Frydman, RRFEI Chairwoman
Sinat hinam, free flowing hatred between different branches of Judaism is not new, but it is once again virulent. As we watch the cauldron of intra-Jewish hatred boil over in the Israeli government and the Haredi and Orthodox Zionist establishments, many of us are at a loss for how to proceed toward Jewish unity. Perhaps it is time for the leaders of the major non-Orthodox … [Read more...] about Standing Up to Hate by Rabbi Pamela Frydman, RRFEI Chairwoman
On Orthodox Conversion in the Twenty-First Century
A Conservative colleague once told me that the auspicious Rabbi Max Kiddushin told her that if a person says that s/he wants to convert a rabbi should convert that person immediately and teach the person later. Little did I know at the time that Rabbi Chuck Davidson's research, found in our newsletter of January 18th, would prove definitively that Rabbi Kiddushin's viewpoint … [Read more...] about On Orthodox Conversion in the Twenty-First Century
The right of Jews to control our own religious lives
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