IJII

 
The State of Israel has unfortunately surrendered responsibility for conversions to a Hareidi-dominated bureaucracy. The Chief Rabbinate and their courts have insisted on imposing stringencies far beyond what halakha demands; the negative attitude of many of the rabbinic judges further alienates potential converts to Judaism. 
  The "Rotem Bill" will serve to further alienate potential converts to Judaism. It will create a breach between Israel and the Jewish diaspora. It will not only alienate non-Orthodox rabbis and communities, but will deepen the rift between the Israeli rabbinic bureaucracy and the Modern Orthodox rabbinate in the diaspora.

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1. Modern Orthodoxy and the Hareidi Drift
2. Do our charity dollars work for--or against--us?

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As I write this blog, many thousands of Hareidim are engaged in mass demonstrations against a recent court decision in Israel. Because the Hareidim are in violation of Israeli law, some/many of them will be arrested and put in prison for short sentences.

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Hamas leaders have stated without equivocation that they wish to destroy Israel.

Thousands of missiles have been fired into Israel from the Gaza Strip, under Hamas control.

Israel, while allowing a steady flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, does its best to prevent the importation of materials that can be used militarily against Israel.

A convoy of ships on a supposedly "humanitarian" mission challenges Israel's right to defend itself, by sailing for Gaza. Israel instructs the convoy to sail to the port of Ashdod, where the ships' cargo can be unloaded and inspected. All humanitarian materials will be trucked into Gaza. Anything that can be used militarily will not be allowed into Gaza.

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The Jerusalem Post recently reported on a poll taken among Israelis, asking if they were religious or secular. This poll reflects a popular Israeli division of its population into "dati" (religious) or "hiloni" (secular).  This use/misuse of terms leads to confusion, and does not serve to clarify the needs and interests of Israeli Jews.

Are you religious or secular?  This is a bad question, based on an erroneous assumption that a person must fit neatly into one of the two categories. The result of a bad question is a bad answer.Because of the popular misuse of these terms, people may put themselves into one or the other category inappropriately.

Are the following people to be placed in the religious or secular categories?

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Some years ago, I read about a German Jew who established a "Jewish Nazi Society" during the 1930s. While Jews throughout Germany (and Europe in general) were facing horrible anti-Jewish persecutions, this Jewish man joined the oppressors of Jews. He internalized the vicious anti-Semitic propaganda to such an extent that he also became a Jew-hater. Perhaps he thought that by identifying as a Nazi, he would be spared personally from the anti-Jewish persecutions. He wanted to be considered as "a good Jew" in the eyes of the Nazis, rather than be accounted among the "bad" Jews whom the Nazis were tormenting.

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The past few weeks have been very difficult for the State of Israel. The news is filled with reports about the pressure being put on Israel by the Obama administration. Great Britain has expelled an Israeli intelligence expert. The UN continues its anti-Israel activities and propaganda. Anti-Israel programs are held on various American college campuses.

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Women Rabbis and the "Tree of Life": Reflections on the JOFA Conference, March 14, 2010

By Ronda Angel Arking

(Ronda Angel Arking is Managing Editor of Conversations, the journal of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals. She is also a Literature and Language Arts Curriculum Developer, graduate student in Biblical Literature, mother, and active member of Congregation Netivot Shalom in Baltimore, MD.)

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Recent news stories have focused on the controversies within the Orthodox Jewish community relating to women serving in roles of religious leadership. In due course, I may comment on the specific charges and counter-charges. But for now, I want to comment on a statement issued by the so-called "Council of Torah Sages" of the Agudath Israel.

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Why would an observant Jew whose ancestors hail from Aleppo, Syria be looking forward to again wearing green on St. Patrick's Day?

In the 1840's when the great Irish potato famine was decimating the Emerald Isle, a million or more were killed and a population of desperate refugees was created, many of whom thankfully found their way to the United States. It was a humanitarian crisis of gargantuan proportions and that Jews were among those in the relief movement created a stir, at least here in New York.

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