London – A Woman rabbi is distraught that an invitation to recite kaddish at the City Hall ceremony was withdrawn after complaints from “observant Jews”.
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Rabbi Miriam Berger of Finchley Reform Synagogue was “honoured” to have been approached by Boris Johnson’s office. “But a few weeks ago I got a call asking to do a reading instead. They said pressure had been put on them not to allow kaddish by a woman.
“I felt terrible that our internal Jewish politics had put the Mayor’s office in this position. I assumed they would ask someone else to do it but when I saw the running order I realized kaddish wasn’t being said at all.
“There were survivors there who had lost family but we couldn’t stand with them and say kaddish.” A Mayor’s office spokesman confirmed that disquiet had been expressed from “more traditionally observant Jews” over a Reform minister saying kaddish.
Would they let a female who claims she is a Catholic priest officiate at any ceremony?…I did not think so. Good for the Mayor’s office. This has stop someplace.
Why should a kaddish be said at city hall in the first place? Maybe an asher yotzar would be more appropriate.
The purpose of kaddish is to sanctify Gods name; and to be mamlich him bechol ho’oilomes. What is a kohen doing in a beis hakvoress?
Kaddish should be said after davening, after learning Torah, and where it is appropriate. Maybe she should blow shofer in city hall or say “hineni ho’oni memaas”.
a wrong, this is not a shul this is a public office that represents all, orthodox, reform etc. If the orthodox do not like it make their own ceremony.
I am waiting till someone has the guts to say, I do not want the orthodox doing a ceremony and see how they react
You forget that this is England and there are recognized religions
If she wants to be an evev HaShem she should follow the rules period
observant jews, should have fanatical ahvas yisroel instead of fitting in the mold philosophy. woman are a important part of our family and community lives. they should be respected. regaring kaddish it has it place and time. there is noting worng for a woman to give over a dvar torah or recite tehilim ect.
If she didn’t want internal polotics to be involved she shouldn’t have accepted the “honor”. She could’ve bowed out.
notice how in england its not like here. they dont use “rhotdox” they say traditional and observant
this is quite strange considering that there is no (technical) problem with a woman saying kaddish, and many contemporary poskim allow it.
I am wondring, is really any basis in Jewish law against a Women reciting Kadish in a public office? Does anyone know?
umm..where’s viyatzmach purkonei, the correct nusach.
There is nothing in Shulchan Orach that says that a woman can’t say kaddish. The reason that they don’t say kaddish is because it will draw the men’s attention to the woman and since that’s not an act of modesty, we don’t do that in a shul kedusha setting. However, in a secular public place, there would be no problem. However, what this female “rabbi” doesn’t want to recognize is that the “official” representation of the Jewish religion in Great Britain is Jewish Orthodoxy, therefore she had no right to expect a Reform representative to be the one to say kaddish. This isn’t about politics or religion. It’s about the fact that in Great Britain there is no official separation of church and state and therefore the British can and did designate and recognize only Orthodox Judaism as the official Jewish representation.
She calls Torah observance “internal politics”? Well, i guess for her there isn’t any Torah observance. Just politics.
First, she is not a rabbi, second she is not obligated to recite kaddish under any circumstances, and thirdly, she is not counted in a minyan which is required for the recitation of kaddish.
The fact that Reform Jews abandoned the halacha does not render the halacha irrelevant. Just as closing your eyes does not make you invisible.
This was not a minyan, this was not kaddish during shachris, mincha or maariv. This was a public setting and the kaddish was ceremonial – not all yossomim where going to say kaddish. This ceremony was for “survivors” (the story does not make clear if it was from the Shoah or otherwise,). What is wrong with a “Reform Rabbi” , even a woman, saying kaddish honoring those who were killed/niphta?
“What is wrong with a “Reform Rabbi” , even a woman, saying kaddish honoring those who were killed/niphta?”
Kaddish is said in a minyan in order to perform a mitzvah, by way of the response “yehe shme raba …” in the merit of the deceased (who can no longer perform any mitzvot) and this is why it is of benefit to their soul. We remember the victims of HaShoah on Tisha B’Av and every Yizkor.
Too bad that the press reported this, it is an embarrassment to the woman who doesn’t know the rules, she has the right intention, that should count to her merit. Hashem should help her.
Kaddish is a primarily a Tfilla fo the coming of Moshiach Tsidkenu in whom reform Jews do not believe in.
It also beseeches the Ribono Shel Olam to make his existence felt powerfully and respected in this world of ours. This is a concept that any self-respecting reform clergyman scoffs at.
Why are they so anxious to say this prayer, anyway?
Reply to # 2. Shame on you ! You are a chusid -shoiteh. You are making light of a Shofar. and a Tfilloh.. The Jewish Community exists and B’H thrives outside of Williamsburg .
Reply to #47 . Absolutely not true. i know for a fact that there were many , so -called orthodox kapo’s The only requirement to become a kapo : ruthless.
These kooks are so hypocritical, they believe in the Rabanan to say kadish but they dont care that the Rabanan say it has to be an over bar mitzvah male!!!
Minyan is importan, but mechitza is not, its ludicrous!!!!
we are enlightened by reading your comments but saddened by the intolerance of some of those writing….. we believe in God … shabbat shalom
So would the self-proclaimed orthodox respondents here have ignored an invitation to participate at a prominent public ceremony attended by key dignitaries of the city including the mayor and which jewish survivors of the Shoah were honoured?
Miriam Berger accuses the mainstream of what she describes as internal politics. We need to put this into perspective. In years gone by the community was always represented by the Chief Rabbis office.
However in recent years the Reform and Liberal movements have started to challenge this. Therefore it is them that has introduced the internal politics.
I cant really see why the saying of Kaddish should ever have been part of the proceedings.
The Holocaust memorial day is a not a jJewish holiday and certainly not a religous one.