Monthly Archives: June 2017

Background:

On Sunday, the Israeli Cabinet made a decision to reverse an earlier decision to establish a pluralist prayer space at the Western Wall. Additionally, there was an initial approval of a bill that would give the Chief Rabbinate a monopoly on conversion in Israel.

President of the ZFA Dr Danny Lamm, who was in Israel for Board of Governor’s meetings with The Jewish Agency for Israel, said these decisions came as a tremendous shock to all participants.

Explaining the two decisions he said that the reversal of the decision in regards to the Western Wall came after the Government had asked the Chairman of the Jewish Agency Natan Sharansky to broker a deal that would enable this space to be made available for ALL Jews to perform services in the way that they wish.

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Over the past few days we have once again been reminded in the most stunning manner about the lack of regard that the Government of Israel has for Progressive, Conservative and other non-Orthodox Jews in Israel and around the world. It has also provided a stark reminder of the continuing importance of the work of ARZA groups around the world to see Israel fulfill one of the basic commitments of her Declaration of Independence.

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WE’RE MAD AS HELL AND WE’RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANY MORE!

CRISES OF CONVERSION AND KOTEL

Rabbi Lawrence A. Englander

Chair, ARZENU, International Reform Zionist Organization

I was driving with my Israeli friend through a Jerusalem neighborhood. As we passed by houses and gardens, mothers pushing strollers and kids cruising on skateboards, he said to me: “This is such a beautiful country, with such beautiful people, beautiful landscapes — and such a horrible government!” The recent actions of the Netanyahu government to support a Conversion Bill that would disqualify any Jew by Choice converted in Israel by anything other than an “authorized” Bet Din, coupled with their “freezing” the agreement to build an egalitarian prayer space at the Kotel, simply reinforce my friend’s sad remark.

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