Recurring "who is a Jew" crises pitting many American Jews against fervently Orthodox leaders in Israel and their Knesset friends may be contributing to a seismic shift in the base of the pro-Israel movement in America. Read more »
We cannot force the
Orthodox to accept and legitimize Reform and Conservative Judaism. But we
do expect the government of Israel, the government of the Jewish state for
all Jews, to cease being the only democratic government that formally
discriminates against the streams of Judaism that represent the majority
of world Jewry. Passage of this legislation will escalate that
discrimination, drive a wedge through the Jewish people, tarnish Israel's
image and hurt Russian olim. Time to go back to the drawing board and really help Russian Jews without selling our birthright of religious freedom. Read more »
"We do not want to see a schism among the Jews of the United States and Israel," said Rabbi Daniel Allen, director of the Association of Reform Zionists of America. "This will say to the Jews of the United States that they don't have a serious place in this country, and that is unacceptable to us." Allen said American Jewish groups are in crisis mode. "This would be an affirmative act of the Knesset to create a second class of Jewry," he said. "And therefore it is a much more important moment in time in terms of the sweep of Jewish history." Read more »
"Ultimately, [the bill]'s a blow -- a blow to the State of Israel, and to good relations between the State of Israel and American Jews," Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, told The Jerusalem Post. "What comes across is religious fundamentalism delegitimizing Diaspora religious movements, and people using Torah for their own narrow purposes, without concern for the broader welfare of the Jewish people," Yoffie said. Read more »
These women span generations and the denominational spectrum; they are pulpit rabbis, teachers, academics, pastoral caregivers and organizational leaders. All of them have made it their life's work to put Jewish values into action -- and, as a result, are changing lives in and beyond their communities. This alphabetical list contains a lot of "firsts," which is evidence of just how much ground there's been to break in recent years. Read more »
No issue in recent memory has so mobilized Jews from all streams and all parts of Israel and the Diaspora as has the bill proposed by MK David Rotem to vest authority for conversions in the hands of the Chief Rabbinate. The Knesset has now adjourned until October. While a vote on the bill was prevented this week, there is more to be done. Over the next few months, we will continue to work with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Jewish Agency Chairman Sharansky, and MK Rotem to craft a bill that addresses the problems that currently characterize the conversion process in Israel and that respects all streams of world Jewry. Read more » Send PM Netanyahu a Thank You Letter»
Starting November 5th-7th in Chicago (Central District), each Union district will host a North American Forum, a three-day intensive full of learning and networking opportunities. Forum participants can expect to engage in workshops as they learn from and with Jewish professionals and active leaders and congregants from across North America. Read more »
Nigun Anthology is a
diverse, dynamic and distinctive compilation of wordless Jewish melodies
and liturgical settings. Featuring a CD with 32 songs, Nigun
Anthology is an ongoing supply of both new
and old worded and wordless melodies: In the same volume, you will find
that great Chasidic tune that you've been looking for and discover a
newly-composed nigun by one of a distinguished cast of Jewish composers. Read more »
With professional instructors, state-of-the-art studio facilities, and no shortage of inspirational environments, our camps provide a unique setting to engage in artistic expression. From landscape painting to digital media, songleading to recording arts, or pottery to Israeli folk dance, campers get to express themselves and their Jewish heritage through a plethora of artistic media. Read more »
A friend of mine recently attended the funeral of someone he had known for many years. About a dozen people got up to speak. Most of them spoke badly. Often the eulogizers ended up talking not about the deceased but about themselves. When the funeral was finally over, at least an hour and a half later, my friend was frustrated and angry. "I cared about this person," he said, "and she deserved a more fitting farewell." Read more »
The [Rotem] bill however is not the real problem, it is just the tip of a much more frightening and dangerous iceberg that Israel and the Jewish people are hurling toward yet again with reckless abandon. The underlying problem is the real question: will Israel remain a democratic pluralistic state, or will it fall into the hands of extreme groups who run the government? Read more »
The demise of the 90-year-old American Jewish Congress is a story not just about cash-flow problems but about the changing of priorities of the American Jewish community. Read more »
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