Reform biennial to focus on Israeli Arabs, interfaith dialogue
October 30, 2009 by Steve
By Sue Fishkoff · October 26, 2009
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1 out of 1
- King Abdullah II of Jordan, pictured here at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East in Jordan on May 16, 2009, will address the Union for Reform Judaism’s biennial convention Nov. 8. (World Economic Forum / Creative Commons)
SAN FRANCISCO (JTA) — A newly restructured and slimmed down Union for Reform Judaism will focus on interfaith relations and the rights of Israeli Arabs at its biennial convention Nov. 4-8 in Toronto.
Addresses by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Jordan’s King Abdullah II, both urging greater interfaith dialogue as a condition for Middle East peace, will bookend a packed five days expected to draw 5,000 attendees from Reform congregations worldwide.
King Abdullah’s pre-taped video address from Amman on Nov. 8 during the convention’s closing session marks a biennial focused strongly on Israeli politics and current events, as will Blair’s live video conversation Nov. 5 with Rabbi David Saperstein of the movement’s Religious Action Center.
This is in contrast to the more inward focused, reflective nature of the past two biennials, where topics such as making Shabbat meaningful, urging conversion of non-Jewish spouses and introducing the movement’s new Hebrew-friendly prayer book took center stage.
Avishai Braverman, Israel’s minister of minority affairs and a longtime proponent of full rights and duties for the country’s non-Jewish citizens, will speak during the opening session Nov. 4 about the ongoing challenges facing Israeli Arabs.
Braverman, the former president of Ben-Gurion University, was instrumental in bringing Bedouin students, particularly women, to his campus.
At a New Israel Fund gala last month in San Francisco, he outlined a proposal to bring American Jewish youth to Israel to work on social justice projects together with their Israeli Arab and Jewish peers, a theme that he is expected to touch upon in Toronto.
“The union has long held that Israel should live up to its Jewish values and its democratic values for all citizens,” said Rabbi Elliott Kleinman, director of Advancing Reform Judaism, a position created this summer to coordinate Union for Reform Judaism activities worldwide.
Kleinman noted that one of the resolutions under consideration during the biennial urges Israel to improve conditions for its Arab minorities.
“This focus could not come at a better time,” he said.
Israel’s ambassadors to the United States and Canada will address the convention, discussing foreign policy issues, particularly the nuclear threat posed by Iran.
“We’re trying to articulate a very pro-Israel, pro-peace position,” said Rabbi Dan Freelander, the union’s senior vice president.
This is the first time in 30 years that the Union for Reform Judaism, the synagogue arm of the largest Jewish stream in North America, representing 1.5 million Jews in 920 congregations, is holding its biennial in Canada.
Taking advantage of the setting, a health care roundtable session will contrast the health care system in the United States with the Canadian model. The Religious Action Center is a strong advocate of health care reform and has been urging passage of the health care reform bill making its way through the U.S. Congress.
Despite the outward focus of much of the biennial, a strong undercurrent still will be devoted to Jewish ritual, a personal interest of Rabbi Eric Yoffie, the president of the URJ.
In 2007, during his biennial sermon, traditionally delivered during Saturday’s Shabbat services, Yoffie called upon Reform Jews to wrest control of their synagogue services back from the b’nai mitzvah crowd. Two years earlier, he had urged “talking gently” to non-Jewish spouses about conversion.
This year’s sermon, kept under wraps until its delivery, “will include comments on food issues, what we eat and how we eat, along with new technology, Israel and other issues of concern to Reform Jews,” Kleinman said.
Kashrut, broadly conceived as an approach to food production and consumption based on Jewish values, has been garnering increased attention in Reform circles the past few years.
The conversation gained urgency with last year’s immigration raid and arrests at the Agriprocessors kosher slaughterhouse in Postville, Iowa. The Union for Reform Judaism quickly signed on to the Conservative movement’s Hekhsher Tzedek food justice initiative when its initial guidelines were released in August 2008.
Reform Jews interested in adopting some form of traditional kashrut often clash, however, with proponents of a more classical Reform attitude, with its traditional hostility toward ritual observance.
The Society for Classical Reform Judaism, a small 2-year-old coalition of congregations dedicated to the universalist goals of the early Reform movement, including its rejection of certain Jewish rituals, will host several sessions at this year’s biennial, urging continued respect for their viewpoint.
Attendees will have the chance to meet staff in charge of the four new North American districts, consolidated from the former 14 regions.
While current financial woes were the immediate impetus for the reorganization, Freelander said, the changes themselves had been under discussion for more than five years.
“The motivation was how do we best serve our congregations, not how do we best sustain a bureaucratic system that has been in place for 50 years,” he said. “We’re just a few months into it, and some kinks still need working out.”
[Reproduced with thanks from the JTA website]
Religious leaders meet with Penny Wong
October 29, 2009 by Steve
A single prophetic stance unified leaders from six different religious traditions when they met with Penny Wong on October 27th. With the negotiations in Copenhagen around the corner, they advocated that Australia adopt courageous, ambitious targets for the sake of the world’s poor and for future generations.
“If we are to be responsible stewards of the Earth,” said Rabbi Kamins, Chairman of the Council of Progressive Rabbis, “we in Australia should reduce our emissions by 40% on 1990 levels by 2020. We should also be committing our fair share of the funds needed to enable developing countries to adapt to climate change. This would effectively double our aid budget.”
The religious leaders, all from different traditions, were amazingly unified on this position. “The Truth is one”, said Mr Kanti Jinna, Vice Chairman of the Hindu Council of Australia.
“We want Australia to take a lead in Copenhagen” said Rabbi Kamins, “and to take seriously the plight of the poor.” Sr Geraldine Kearney, representing Australian Catholic Religious, spoke from first-hand experience of the islands of Kiribas. She said people there are trying to build sea walls as best they can but are fearful for the next generation.
Rev. Professor James Hair, of the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, expressed concern for people in sub-Saharan Africa: “Even a small rise in global temperatures would have the effect of compounding their water shortages and devastating their populations.”
Each of the leaders wanted to impress on Senator Wong the growing concern about climate change among their constituencies. This is demonstrated by many communities switching to Green Power and conducting energy audits.
The delegation also included Br. Ikebal Patel, President of Australian Federation of Islamic Councils and the Venerable Sujato Bhikkhu of the Buddhist Council of NSW. Other people visited were Shadow Ministers, the Hon. Tony Abbott and Hon. Greg Hunt, and Clare Penrose from the Prime Minister’s office. Members of the delegation all belong to the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (www.arrcc.org.au), which organised the meetings.
Another success for IRAC!
October 28, 2009 by Nicky
IRAC’s (The Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism’s Religious Action Center) legal and public battle against forced segregation of men and women on public bus lines in Haredi neighbourhoods received the support of a government-backed committee minutes before the Supreme Court was supposed to hear the case. The committee, established by the Transportation Ministry, concluded that the forced segregation was indeed illegal.
Parliament of the World’s Religions
October 26, 2009 by nicola
The Parliament of the World’s Religions is the world’s largest global inter-religious event, held once every five years in a different city. The Melbourne Parliament will bring together more than 8,000 people from around the world for an inspirational program of 500 speakers, workshops, panel discussions, artistic performance and art exhibitions.
Most Israeli Jews back religious freedom, poll finds
October 14, 2009 by Steve
October 12, 2009
JERUSALEM (JTA) — A new poll finds that more than 80 percent of Israeli Jews support freedom of religion.
Some 83 percent of Israeli Jews said they support "ensuring freedom of religion and conscience," while another 60 percent back the separation of religion and state, according to a poll released Monday by Hiddush, a new Israeli organization supporting religious freedom and equality. Only 9 percent of fervently Orthodox respondents said they support freedom of religion, however.
The survey of 1,200 Israeli Jewish men and women was conducted by the Smith Research Institute over the summer to assess the sentiments of Israeli Jews on matters of religion and state. The results have a margin of error of 2.8 percent.
The research will serve as the basis for the establishment of the Israel Religion and State Index, according to the organization.
The poll also found that 63 percent of respondents support equal state funding for all Jewish denominations; 84 percent oppose military exemptions for yeshiva students; 92 percent of secular Jews support abolishing the Orthodox monopoly on marriage; and 62 percent support the operation of public transportation on Saturdays.
[reprinted from the JTA website]
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