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Freedom Fights
On The Religious Front

(The Retirement Community (That 3-(as It AP

The battle to strip Orthodox monopoly of religious
matters in Israel takes a new twist.

INA FRIEDMAN ISRAEL CORRESPONDENT

he latest installment of the didates proposed by the other two
long saga on appointing bodies. Consequently, Rabbis
candidates from Israel's Friedland and Freund must now
Conservative and Reform be approved by the Orthodox
movements to serve (alongside Chief Rabbi of Haifa, She'ar-
their Orthodox counterparts) on Yishuv Cohen.
The Haifa religious leader has
municipal Religious Councils has
taken a familiar turn, but one stated that his criterion for ap-
that that has spawned new proval is not formal religious af-
t ill ation , but lifestyle. That is,
thinking.
Recently, a three-judge panel whether the candidate keeps
again blocked attempts by the kosher, observes the Sabbath (by
Orthodox and their allies on three halachic standards), and is pre-
municipal councils, to prevent pared to accept the dictates of the
non-Orthodox candidates from local (Orthodox) raboinate. On
being elected. Two years ago, the these grounds, Rabbi Cohen has
High Court ruled that candidates said, a Conservative candidate
for local and municipal Religious might possibly qualify, but a Re-
Councils — which, despite their form candidate would not. Ashke-
name, are wholly civil, rather nazi Chief Rabbi Meir Lau has
than rabbinical, bodies — cannot couched the issue in even sharp-
be disqualified because of their er terms: "The Religious Coun-
religious association, meaning be- cils are an arm of the municipal
longing to Conservative and Re- Rabbinate, and if a person does
form movements, as long as they not accept the rulings of the [Or-
do not oppose the provision of re- thodox] rabbis, he cannot carry
ligious services to the public out the council's policy," he said.
In Jerusalem, the chances that
(which is the councils' mandate).
Last Monday, the court forced the Meretz candidates for the Re-
that ruling into action by order- ligious Council will ever serve are
ing the Haifa City Council to in- even slimmer. Even if the Or-
state Meretz and Tsomet thodox parties and their Likud
candidates Jonathan Friedland
of the Masorati (Conservative)
Movement and Anat Freund of
the Movement for Progressive
(Reform) Judaism — both of
whom had been disqualified on
the grounds of their religious af-
filiation — as members of the
city's Religious Council.
In Jerusalem and Kiryat
Tivon, where the City Councils
dodged the issue by voting with-
out discussing the candidates' coalition partners on the city
qualifications, the court ordered council were to approve, Deputy
a deliberation of the question of Mayor Meir Porush of the Or-
qualifications and another vote thodox Agudat Yisrael Party has
declared: "May my hand be cut
within 60 days.
Rabbi Uri Regev, head of the off my arm before I'll raise it to
Religious Action Committee of vote for Reform or Conservative
the Movement for Progressive Ju- [candidates]." Also, the candi-
daism, who pleaded the case be- dates would still have to pass
fore the High Court, called the muster with Jerusalem Chief
ruling "a breakthrough in the Rabbi Yitzhak Kulitz. And Rab-
struggle to advance freedom of bi Kulitz has stated unequivo-
religion and conscience in Israel." cally: "They won't sit here" (on
But it remains highly doubtful the Jerusalem Religious Coun-
that Rabbis Friedland and Fre- cil).
Thus, so far the battles being
und — whom the High Court has
boosted over the critical hump of won by the Conservative and Re-
the "election stage" — will ever form movements in court have
actually serve on the Haifa Re- gained them little ground where
ligious Council. The rather it really counts. The High Court,
Byzantine method of appointing for example, fined the Jerusalem
Religious' Council members al- City Council 25,000 shekels for
lows city councils, local rab- dithering for over a year before
binates, and the minister of enforcing its last ruling (to hold
religion all to put forward their another vote in which Religious
candidates and to veto the can- Council candidates would not be

T

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While a Conservative
rabbi might be
acceptable, a
Reform one
would not.

C-