Shame on you Reform Movement

The Reform Movement is attempting to bully its way into Israeli society and religious life:

Leaders of Reform Judaism from around the world opened a conference in Jerusalem on Thursday whose agenda included a multimillion-dollar expansion of activities in Israel and a demand that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert take steps to officially recognize the movement and its conversions and rabbis.

This attempt is wrong and flies in the face of the democratic principles the Reform Movement claims to espouse.

Like it or not, the reason the views of Orthodox Jewry predominate in Israeli society and law is because the majority of Israelis identify with those values and beliefs. Over 20% of the Kenneset are representatives from specifically “Orthodox” parties (not to mention the Orthodox members from the secular parties); major cities like Jerusalem are not only Orthodox, but also predominantly Charedi (usually translated as “ultra-orthodox” – an incorrect and derogatory term) including the mayor and most of the city council. And while the bulk of the Israeli Sephardi community would not be considered “religious” in Israel, by American standards they would still be basically “Orthodox” (i.e. they keep kosher, would never intermarry, they believe in God and would never pray anywhere but an Orthodox synagogue with separate seating for men and women). The Reform Movement is simply out of touch and for the most part irrelevant to the majority of Israelis.

If Israelis identified as Reform, or even if the Reform Movement could claim a major base of support in Israel, then we would have what to talk about. But they don’t and the Reform Movement should cease trying to strong-arm and pressure the Israeli government into accepting their customs and practices, especially since they are alien and inconsistent with those of the majority of Israelis.

March 15th, 2007 General, Jewish Issues