Thursday, February 27, 2014

Religion and State in Israel - February 27, 2014

Editor – Joel Katz
Religion and State in Israel is not affiliated with any organization or movement.


CONVERSION
By Rabbi Gilad Kariv
We cannot wait until the last minute, as we did with the Rotem bill. Although that proposal was ultimately defeated, the damage to Israel’s relationship with the Jewish world has left a scar.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Religious Affairs Minister Naftali Bennett need to make it clear now that they will not allow another conversion crisis to arise.

The heads of Jewish organizations such as the Jewish Agency and the Jewish Federations of North America must impress this message upon these Israeli leaders before the next committee discussions on the Stern bill.
Only if Israeli government officials and the international Jewish leadership take a clear, unambiguous stance on conversion will those who have been pulling the Jewish world into conversion crises over the past 30 years understand that this time, there has to be a different ending.



KOTEL/WESTERN WALL/WOMEN OF THE WALL

[Elad’s] Spielman added that because the Jerusalem Archeological Park presently oversees Robinson’s Arch, leftwing groups assume that El-Ad will breach [a] government-signed agreement with Women of the Wall.

“That is so not true,” he said. “When the agreement is finalized, we will honor all previous agreements with the State of Israel, including Women of the Wall.”


Settler group getting management of Western Wall area


RABBINATE/RABBINICAL COURTS
By Karen Brunwasser

Many have asked if this saga changed my mind about aliyah and Israel. No, but it underscores my responsibility, and that of likeminded citizens, to work for change.

Recent controversies surrounding the rejection of conversions by RCA rabbis like Avi Weiss and public disparagement of moderate rabbis like David Stav and Shlomo Riskin reveal just how extremist the institution has become.

But this extremism is priming public opinion for the rise of an alternative system that would reflect the diversity of Israeli citizenry and the Jewish people.

The time is ripe to support relevant NGOs, lobby Israeli leaders and leverage the full weight of Diaspora communal resources to break the Chief Rabbinate’s ruinous monopoly.




RELIGIOUS PLURALISM



ALIYAH/ISRAEL-DIASPORA RELATIONS/JEWISH AGENCY










SHABBAT






WOMEN
National-Haredi rabbis may not appreciate female sexuality, but God does, as it contains holiness and will function as vessel to purify the priests





HADASSAH WOMEN'S ORGANIZATION





AGUNOT/MARRIAGE


ABORTION


CONSTITUTION/JEWISH AND DEMOCRATIC STATE






SECULAR JUDAISM


CHRISTIAN ISRAELIS


EDUCATION


KASHRUT/RITUAL SLAUGHTER



RELIGION AND SOCIETY









HAREDI SOCIETY



IDF HAREDI DRAFT/HESDER





















TEMPLE MOUNT





RELIGION AND THE IDF



RABBI PINTO CASE




ORGAN DONATION


BEIT SHEMESH MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS



Editor – Joel Katz
Religion and State in Israel is not affiliated with any organization or movement.
All rights reserved.

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