Masorti Movement in Israel fights cruel remarks from ex-Chief Rabbi

One of the worst things that can happen to an Israeli in the States is that the morning news from Israel hits you sometimes when they aren’t considered news anymore. This is what I felt when surfing, just before heading to the office, and I saw this on the Jerusalem Post:

Rabbi Eliyahu: 'Reform synagogues reek of hell'

Reading the full article, I was not surprised to see that as usual, the word “Conservative” was missing from the headline. Actually, what Rabbi Eliyahu said is that Conservative and Reform synagogues reek from hell. More accurate, but no less shocking!

Reading the article, including the talkbacks, made me furious about this rabbi’s ignorance and arrogance, but it also made me think how would I have reacted if I were to see this news two years ago in Israel, as a secular moshavnik, and the answer is- I wouldn’t react at all, because I wouldn’t care.

And that is the simple truth- most Israeli are so beaten up and turned off by the Orthodox rabbanut and by its monopoly of Judaism in Israel, that they do not care about anything related to its rabbis and especially, they do not care about religious pluralism- they’ve given up. They don’t need or want Judaism anymore. The secular-Zionist ethos of creating a “Hebrew Bedouin”, the ultimate tzabar, was aimed at erasing everything related to the “shtetl culture” – the Eastern European traditions that developed over hundreds of years when Jewish communities lived and survived holding on to their religion and traditions.

When the State of Israel was finally established, the Labor Zionist leaders, headed by David Ben-Gurion, wanted to unite all political parties, including the ultra-Orthodox, within the new government. The price: Establishing the rabbinate as a formal part of the government and allowing yeshiva students not to serve in the army.

So the Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox parties are part of the Zionist state, but we, the secular majority of Israelis, paid another price- the loss of our connection to Judaism.

The Masorti (Conservative) Movement in Israel, uniting more than 45 communities, is fighting for recognition, not for the sake of Conservative Judaism, but for the sake of Israel as a homeland for the entire Jewish people for generations to come. For me, going to shul was something that I had to do when I was a kid only because my grandfather made us do it. Not until I entered a Masorti congregation in Ramat Aviv just a little over a year ago, did I learn that Judaism could also be about songs, text-learning on a sophisticated level and a community full of human values. More and more Israelis are looking for such a community as I describe and more and more Israelis are getting connected to Judaism – through the Masorti Movement and through similar institutions that are being developed.

Rabbi Eliyahu’s remark, not being the only offensive remark that he or others like him have ever made, is aimed at trying to prevent the majority of Israelis from entering our synagogues. We should not let it happen.

So, what can Americans do about it?

Simple answer – in order to conserve Israel’s Judaism, we need active Conservative Judaism in Israel. Here, in the United States, although some would not agree, the Conservative Movement is alive and kicking. What people here can do is to be active and to help us, in Israel, do “keiruv levavot”, getting people to know us and respect us – and this means that whenever you are in Israel, make sure to visit a Masorti community, to strengthen what they are doing. When you are organizing a trip, try to plan a Masorti part of the trip, and if you know about someone going to Israel- connect him to the Movement. You can also be active through MERCAZ- the Zionist organization of the Conservative Movement, who, through its representatives in the World Zionist Organization and Jewish Agency, can actually affect the Israeli government to give more support to the Masorti Movement.

The Masorti Movement acknowledges the importance of having a connection with American olim and is now working together with the Jewish Agency to create a formal way to connect to new Conservative olim- the few hundreds of them coming every year to Israel.

I want to raise my children in a place where they would love to go to shul, but even if they don’t go, no one will make them feel like they are not Jewish enough. I want to raise my children in a place where you can be choose everything according to what suits you best - your rabbi, your community, even the way you divorce. Israel is going to be this place very soon, but in order to make Rabbi Eliyahu’s comments seem like an old memory from the “bad old days”, we need everyone to take part in building Israel.

Original article at JPost: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1195127546264&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull