JPost Covers National Pluralistic Beit Midrash

The Jerusalem Post covered the National Pluralistic Beit Midrash (study day):

National Beit Midrash unites Israelis, North American Reform rabbis
Mar. 1, 2009
Maya Spitzer, THE JERUSALEM POST

The conference hall was crowded with groups of four as far as the eye could see; the discussions impassioned, the excitement palpable. Hundreds of Jews - American and Israeli, men and women, religious and secular, new immigrants and sabras, right wing and left wing, sat with one another, intensely engaged in the sacred texts before them - studying, challenging and questioning one another and themselves.

The Batei Midrash Network, a group of pluralistic organizations dedicated to Jewish learning throughout Israel, hosted this landmark day of learning at the Jerusalem International Convention Center on Friday, the fourth day of the weeklong Central Conference of American Rabbis Jerusalem 2009 Convention.

The event brought together Israeli Batei Midrash members and a delegation of the American rabbis for a day of hevruta learning, the traditional mode of Jewish study dating back to talmudic times, involving textual analysis and discussion in small groups.

Friday's hevruta groups, each with two Israelis and two Americans, studied Shabbat, tradition, renewal and Israel-Diaspora relations. With more than 600 participants, this was the largest assemblage of its kind in the history of the young Beit Midrash movement in Israel.

For the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Beit Midrash was symbolic of the growth and success of the Progressive (Reform) Movement, and of Jewish pluralism as a whole in Israel. "People from all over Israel have come to Jerusalem to study with Reform rabbis," said Rabbi Peter Knobel, president of the Central Conference.

Against the backdrop of the state's refusal to recognize non-Orthodox streams of Judaism, the event demonstrated the solidarity of the worldwide Reform movement, said Rabbi Miri Gold, who is currently embroiled in a fight with the government for recognition as rabbi of Congregation Birkat Shalom in Kibbutz Gezer.

"We have a long way to go," said Gold, citing the Boston Tea Party's slogan of "no taxation without representation," "but the existence of the Beit Midrash shows the strong presence of pluralistic Judaism in Israel, a presence that needs to be recognized."

"There has been longstanding, unfortunate discrimination, but we're being proactive, working on advocacy against it," said Rabbi Yoel Oseran, vice president of international development at the World Union for Progressive Judaism.

He said there was "clear evidence" of the movement's success in its newfound visibility: the large number of wedding ceremonies performed, the Progressive synagogues now in every major city in Israel despite lack of government funding, and the strong growth in their kindergarten programs. "Certainly the Beit Midrash is reflective of the direction of Reform Judaism and its growing embrace of Jewish scholarship," Oseran said.

"The goal of this convention is to engage experientially, in a meaningful way, Israel and Israelis. Today we created the largest national Beit Midrash, and with Torah and love of the Jewish people in common, we hope to forge meaningful personal connections," said Rabbi Donald Rosoff, chairman of the Central Conference convention committee.

The Reform American rabbis from the Central Conference studied alongside their Israeli hevruta partners, united by a dedication to Jewish learning and a belief in its relevance to contemporary concerns.

In hevrutot, "we find ways to integrate modern life and ancient text, bringing the wisdom, humor, philosophy, and halachot of the texts alive in our lives now," said Roni Yavin, the conference's Israel chairwoman. "We are maintaining the tradition of Jewish learning from talmudic times and bringing new life to the text at the same time. Israelis want to touch the Talmud themselves."

The rise of such Beit Midrash-style learning lies at the heart of Israel's growing Jewish Renewal (Hithadsut Yehudit) movement (no connection to the Jewish Renewal movement that began in North America in the late 1960s and early 1970s), in which people seek to "take more active responsibility for their Judaism," Yavin said.

From cities to kibbutzim and moshavim, Israel has seen a rise in Jewish Renewal activities: pluralistic study of Jewish texts in batei midrash, communal holiday celebrations and Kabalat Shabbat activities, not associated with specific streams of Judaism.

The Beit Midrash's planners hoped it would initiate a wider dialogue between the North American and Israeli Jews. "We hope this serves as a big bridge between our communities," said Yavin. "This process will enable many Israelis to create meaningful personal relationships with our deep and rich Jewish culture. It can enlighten and help us grapple with the existential questions and current challenges facing the individual and the general Jewish public in Israel and abroad."

"In the past, Israelis thought that Americans would come here to learn from them. It's been my experience that Israelis now understand the mifgash [encounter] is two ways, and that's really inspiring. Lilmod ulelamed [to learn and to teach] each other," said Michael Weinberg, the Central Conference's chairman of the Beit Midrash.

A number of conference participants attributed the rise of the Jewish Renewal movement to a perceived void and spiritual yearning among secular Israelis. The uptick in mainstream hevruta study and similar activities "symbolizes an evolving Israel," said Rabbi Mary Zamore of Westfield, New Jersey. "Those who are secular recognize something is missing from their lives. They are yearning for text, yahadut [Judaism], and realize they can do that and still be modern and educated at the same time."

Rabbi Elyse Goldstein of Toronto, who runs Kolel, one of the few such batei midrash in North America, sees a parallel lack there, and hopes to spur the transplantation of similar institutions overseas.

"As much as Israelis realize they need an outlet for spirituality, American Jews are feeling the same way and saying, 'You know what, I don't know that much about Judaism, and I'm not willing to go to a place where there's only one point of view presented.'"

The Batei Midrash Network, which was established in 2003 by five batei midrash, now includes 21 of Israel's 30 Beit Midrash organizations. More than 3,000 Israelis take part in Batei Midrash Network's yearlong programs, and 10,000 participate in its short-term programs.

It is primarily supported by the UJA-Federation of New York, the Avi Chai Foundation, and the Metro-West Federation of New Jersey.

CCAR Release on Tel Aviv Day

ONE-ON-ONE INTERCHANGE WITH ISRAELI RABBINIC COUNTERPARTS, MOVING THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE AND A STREET-LEVEL LOOK AT SOCIAL ISSUES IN TEL AVIV AMONG FEATURES OF CONVENTION'S SECOND FULL DAY
Arab/Jewish Unity Walk Brings to Life Dual Emotional Narratives of Jaffa's History

JERUSALEM - (February 27, 2008) - On the second full day of the Convention, CCAR members broke into groups to connect directly with rabbis, students, academics activists and lay congregation members in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Then, in addition to a lunchtime welcome by Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, who has done much to facilitate the Reform Movement's growth in Tel Aviv, and a moving theatrical performance by the Nalaga'at Deaf-Blind Theatre Company, members hit the streets for new, on-the-ground perspectives of Tel Aviv.

One of eight walking tours was an Arab/Jewish Unity Walk through Jaffa, where Tel Aviv began. Native Jewish and Arab guides collaborated on a heartfelt presentation of beautiful Jaffa's complicated history since the last years of the Ottoman Empire. The collegial dialogue between the guides reinforced the importance of remembering that there are (at least) two divergent emotional narratives of Jaffa's history since Jews arrived in Jaffa in the late 19th Century: One narrative is that of one of the world's great, hard-won triumphs, and the other is of a terrible catastrophe.

The tour ended on a hopeful - perhaps tentatively hopeful - note. The guides pointed out that while Arab-Jewish relations appear to be freezing on a political and institutional level, the grassroots dimension is improving: Feelings are being shared, and collaborative projects are on the rise.

Here are some highlights of the conversation, particularly from the often less-heard Arab perspective:

• When Jews first came to Jaffa in the late 19th Century, there were good relations. The Jews were from North Africa, so culture and customs were similar. (One CCAR member pointed out that there's potentially a third narrative in Jaffa, that of Jews from Arab countries.)
• In the early 1920s, during the initial periods of violence between Jews and Arabs, there was still cooperation - in business and in unions. Then, sadly, fear among the Arabs grew strong.
• Between 1920 and 1940, the Jaffa population went from 15,000 to 165,000, and Jews became the majority. During this period, Arab fear mounted.
• In 1948, all but 3,500 of the 60,000 Arab residents left Jaffa. They thought they'd be able to come back; they simply locked their houses.
• Even though the houses and property were taken, the notion and hope that they could return to and reclaim their homes remained, and still does today, to some extent, among older people whose families fled.
• The mindset progression of the Arabs in Jaffa, went from "traumatized" before 1948 to "fearful and angry" once they became Israeli citizens overseen by a "military regime."
• Right now, our Arab guide told us, the main psychological issue and challenge among Arabs is "self-definition: It's related to how the State feels about you. You can't feel totally Israeli. You're on a lower list."

Both of our guides expressed the hope that a growing comfort with talking will lead to Arabs' not just accepting, but also feeling comfortable with, their Israeli identity.

CCAR with Women of the Wall, on Ynet News

Ynet News, Yedidot Achronot, reported more fully on the CCAR's participation in the Women of the Wall minyan, under title: "Women worshippers stir row at Western Wall".

Tensions in Jerusalem: Some 100 women wear prayer shawls, chant from Torah at Western Wall to protest 'attempt to silence half of Jewish people'; rally draws angry reaction, holy site's rabbi slams provocation

Kobi Nahshoni
Published:
02.25.09, 18:43 / Israel Jewish
Scene


Over a hundred women arrived at the Western Wall Wednesday morning wrapped
in prayer shawls and wearing kippahs, to mark 20 years since the inception of
the Women of the Wall organization.

Women of the Wall organizes female prayer groups at the Western Wall each month on Rosh Hodesh. The participants usually wear tallit, teffilin and kippah and chant from the Torah.

The group, which included dozens of Reform movement members from North America, accompanied the Hallel prayer with singing, consequently provoking heated responses from other visitors and the Wall's ushers, who demanded that the group
leave the place as its members "failed to follow the place's customs."

Anat Hoffman, executive director of the Israeli Religious Action Center (IRAC), the public and legal advocacy arm of Reform Judaism in Israel, took part in the prayer. She said that the group met with hostility, although the women did not intend to create a provocation.

The vast majority of the Women of the Wall are feminist Orthodox who come to the site once a month to say a prayer and sing quietly, she said. "Because this time there were about a hundred women there, it sounded louder."

Half of Jewish people silenced
According to Hoffman, while the High Court of Justice has already allowed the women's organized prayers to be held at the Western Wall, the holy site's rules stipulate that worshippers' feelings must not be hurt, and also set a prison sentence to offenders. The Western Wall's rabbi, Shmuel Rabinovitch, "interprets the term 'hurting feelings' in a way that silences half of the Jewish people," she said. "The ushers want us to take off our prayer shawls and move our lips without making a sound."

Provocation?

"We feel that there is a great deal of hypocrisy here: On the one hand, the Western Wall symbolizes the unity of the Jewish people, and on the other hand women, who comprise half of this nation, are being silenced, along with the traditions of the biggest Jewish community in the world (American Jewry)," Hoffman claimed.

She added that "local customs" should not be defined by the most extreme ultra-Orthodox denomination in Israel. "The State has turned the Western Wall into an orthodox synagogue where regulations are being enforced by force."

Wall's rabbi: Women desecrated holy site
Meanwhile, Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch told Ynet that the women usually hold their prayer nearby the Wall, and not at the Western Wall Plaza itself. "Unfortunately, they severely offended the holy place… and stirred violence and division," he said.

"The High Court barred them from acting in a way that is not in line with local custom, and the local custom is that women don't wear a prayer shawl, put teffilin or read out from the Torah.

"The Western Wall is open to every woman to pray in her own way, as long as she does not breach the local custom, which is Jewish Halacha. An attempt was made today to create a provocation, desecrate the site and hurt the feelings of men and women worshippers.

"This is a severe and inappropriate act, and we will make sure not to let it happen again," he concluded.

JTA on CCAR's Involvement with Women at the Wall

JTA carried this story:

Women’s prayer group asked to leave Wall
February 25, 2009

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- A women's prayer group was asked to leave the
Western Wall plaza.

The group of 100 women, wearing prayer shawls and kipot, on Wednesday morning was marking the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Women of the Wall organization, which organizes female prayer groups every month on Rosh Chodesh, Ynet reported.

The group sang out loud during the Hallel prayer, which violates the custom of the plaza.

Israel's Supreme Court has ruled that women can pray in groups at the wall, but that they may not hurt the feelings of other worshipers.

Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch told Ynet that local custom at the Western Wall holds that women do not wear a prayer shawl or tefillin and do not read from the Torah. Singing out loud is also considered a provocation, since men are not permitted under Jewish law to hear women singing.

"The Western Wall is open to every woman to pray in her own way, as long as she does not breach the local custom, which is Jewish halachah," Rabinovitch said. "An attempt was made today to create a provocation, desecrate the site and hurt the feelings of men and women worshipers."

The women usually pray in an area near, but away from, the plaza, the rabbi said.

Various CCAR member blogging on the Women of the Wall minyan here.

Jerusalem Post Covers Jerusalem Mayor at CCAR

Jerusalem Post covered Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat's speech to the CCAR Convention:

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat told a conference of north American Reform Rabbis meeting in Jerusalem on Tuesday that it was critical to find the common denominator among all streams of Judaism.

"In order to strengthen Jerusalem, we must continue to focus on the common denominator," Barkat said in his address to the delegation at Jerusalem's Hebrew Union College.

He stressed the importance of pluralism, noted that "it is not always simple," and cited his decision to create a wall-to-wall coalition in the city council with religious, secular and haredi city councilors.

Jerusalem Post on CCAR Convention

Jerusalem Post carried an article today about the CCAR convention. It read:

More than 300 Reform rabbis from North America will convene in Jerusalem this week for their annual rabbinical conference, seeking to bolster the tiny Reform Judaism movement in Israel. The six-day event, which opens Tuesday, aims to strengthen the liberal movement's ties with Israel and build bridges to its religious and secular communities.

Although Reform represents the largest denomination of American Jews, the Orthodox establishment has a virtual monopoly on religious life in Israel, where both the Reform and Conservative movements are largely marginal.

The Reform movement in Israel operates 24 congregations, which, like the Conservative movement's synagogues, are not recognized by the state, and do not receive state funding.

"The fact that the largest Jewish community in the world still has not recognized Reform rabbis and Reform Judaism's institution of learning is something that must be fixed," said Anat Hoffman, executive director of the Israel Religious Action Center, the legal and political arm of Reform Jewry in Israel. "I want to see liberal Jews around the world break their silence and make their voice heard," she said, adding that "there was not much room for hope" within Israel on the issue.

The gathering of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, which will also focus on Arab-Jewish relations, will include a intra-religious study session with members of all streams of Judaism, and an east Jerusalem tour with "Rabbis for Human Rights," a fringe group which is most widely known for their vocal opposition to the demolition of illegally built homes in east Jerusalem.

The conference will include addresses by both Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat and Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, as well as Labor MK Ophir Paz-Pines.

Religious Jerusalem city councilmen from both Shas and United Torah Judaism, which are part of Barkat's wall-to-wall city coalition and view Reform Jewry as anathema, declined to comment Sunday on Barkat's scheduled address at the conference.

The event will also include the inauguration of the group's president-elect, Rabbi Ellen Dreyfus, who leads a small congregation in Homewood, Illinois. Dreyfus, 57, will become the second woman to head Reform's rabbinical assembly.

The annual convention of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, which is the representative organization of nearly 2,000 Reform rabbis, takes place in different cities around the world, with Jerusalem serving as host city once every seven years.

The last time the conference was held in Jerusalem was in March 2002, when more than 200 Reform rabbis came to Israel at a time of rampant Palestinian suicide bombings.

"To return to Jerusalem and Israel for our conference every seven years is an important symbolic statement for our movement in terms of our connection to the State of Israel," said Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback of Los Altos, California, a participant in the conference who is relocating to Israel this year to head the Hebrew Union College's year in Israel program.

"If Reform and Conservative Judaism want to stay alive in the world, they must take root in Israel," Hoffman concluded.