Jerusalem – 71% Of Israelis Support Equal Recognition For Non-Orthodox Rabbis

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    FILE: Ultra orthodox Jewish men argue with non religious men in Israel. (Credit: Flash90)Jerusalem – A majority of Israelis supports equal government treatment of Orthodox and non-Orthodox rabbis, according to a poll released by the religious equality advocacy NGO Hiddush on Monday.

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    Out of the 507 Israelis questioned by Rafi Smith Polling, 71 percent stated that they believe President Reuven Rivlin “was wrong to cancel the bar mitzva ceremony for disabled children scheduled to be held at the President’s Residence, only because one of the prayer leaders is a Conservative rabbi.”

    Opposition to Rivlin in this matter was higher among secular respondents (93%) and Soviet immigrants (84%) than among traditional Jews (74%) and the national religious (67%).

    Twenty-nine percent of respondents supported Rivlin.

    Fifty-nine percent of respondents agreed that rabbis representing the Reform and Conservative movements should be treated the same as their Orthodox counterparts.

    The president and the Masorti Movement (Conservative Judaism in Israel) have been at odds since negotiations to hold a bar mitzva ceremony for disabled schoolchildren at his official residence fell through earlier this month.

    The celebration, initially slated to be held in Rehovot, was canceled by Mayor Rahamim Malul in April because he objected to it being conducted in a Conservative synagogue by a Conservative rabbi.

    The Masorti Movement approached the Diaspora Affairs Ministry and asked it to find a suitable solution, and the ministry proposed the ceremony be held at the President’s Residence and began discussions with the President’s Office to bring this about.

    The two sides were unable to come to an agreement, however, with the Conservative movement accusing Rivlin of “an act of cruelty” in having “reneged” on his offer to allow both an Orthodox and Conservative rabbi to co-officiate.

    “Unfortunately, religious figures seeking to advance their agenda through the cynical use of children refused to respond to every framework proposed by the President’s Office, and we are saddened by this approach,” the President’s Office said in a statement at the time.

    Commenting on the results, Hiddush CEO Rabbi Uri Regev called on the president to “reconsider his decision to cancel the ceremony.”

    “The president must not act as if he is the exclusive president of Orthodoxy, to the exclusion of the largest streams of world Jewry. It’s time for President Rivlin to get over his disdain for religious pluralism.

    It’s very unfortunate that while the president expresses such praiseworthy concern for various marginalized sectors of Israeli society, even as they may often be controversial in his own political circle, he repeatedly demonstrates that he has a huge blind spot when it comes to freedom of religion and the equal treatment of all streams of Judaism,” he said.

    Asked about the poll, Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, executive vice president of the Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Assembly, told The Jerusalem Post that she believes it shows that “there is tremendous openness, even eagerness, in Israeli society for a pluralistic approach to Judaism.”

    “President Rivlin has a wonderful opportunity to bring his message of unity and civility in Israeli society to the streams, and we would welcome his leadership in that arena.”

    Rivlin has had run-ins with non-Orthodox streams before, having famously told an Israeli newspaper in 1989 that Reform is “idol worship and not Judaism.”

    Reform and Conservative leaders indicated concern when he was chosen as president, but he has since made overtures to mend the divide, seeking to assure Diaspora leaders in several forums that he is not against the largest Jewish denominations outside of Israel.

    Content is provided courtesy of the Jerusalem Post


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    14 Comments
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    8 years ago

    Its the right decision and in time,will be shown to have done more for achdus in klal yisroel than any other single action.

    8 years ago

    This unfortunate outcome is a result of Israel being a secular, which it is and must be before Mosiach since it is a democracy..

    Anominous
    Anominous
    8 years ago

    Isn’t the term reform rabbi a contradiction. If you don’t believe that our religion is God’s will, then why bother with religion/witchcraft?

    While groups should be allowed to follow whatever religion they want, the religion of the State of Israel is Judaism. Judaism has been orthodox for the past 2,000 years, until recent times. If you want to practice something else, fine, but don’t call it Judaism.

    And, just like lawyers, doctors and others have to pass rigorous tests to practice their professions, so should the people that are called Rabbis. They should prove that they have extensive knowledge of the Talmud, Medrash and others to be allowed to practice on others.

    8 years ago

    Seldom does anything become more problematic in jewish life than non-orthodoc jewish leadership of the soul.

    This is a horrendous idea.

    We can not give them equal status with a Talmid Chocham and Torah student because their own Torah is cheat cheat eat eat.

    Tidy to think they want to be like the orthodox.

    Their “conversions” are all negated anyhow.

    Focus on educating these false members of the rabbinate.

    Maybe they can become orthodox.

    itzik18
    itzik18
    8 years ago

    They should privatize the Rabbanut as well and treat all equally – people can decide on their own if they want to be frum – the only area that really has a major nafka mina is gittin, and by letting non-frum clergy do weddings, the gittin problem is solved according to Rav Moshe – even gerus isn’t such a nafka minah just make a new giyur l’chumra when/if they become frum (really even baalei tshuvah with no frum relatives should do a giyur lchumra anyway)

    OntheOtherHand
    OntheOtherHand
    8 years ago

    In all fairness, they should create their own religion. Then they could make any rule they want. Why ruin a beautiful and ancient heritage that has existed for so many years?

    jjcholov
    jjcholov
    8 years ago

    reform and conservative jews are an absolute bizayon and have no place in the holy land