The World
More Judaism,
Less Coercion
NECHEMIA MEYERS
Special to The Jewish News
7, e decision of moderate
rthodox Meimad to run in
the next elections has been
warmly received by my obser-
vant friends, who will now have a party
they can vote for. In the last elections
they reluctantly supported the National
Religious Party because they wanted to
ensure support for the schools to which
they send their children, but dismayed
by the NRP's strident opposition to the
peace process, they are seeking an alter-
native.
Also bothering them and Israelis in
general is the growing gap between the
observant and secular sections of the
population, which many people regard
as the most serious problem facing
Israel today. Dealing with that issue is
also on Meimad's agenda, says its chair-
man, Rabbi Yehuda Amital.
'As we see it," declares Amital, "the
time has come for more Judaism and
less religious coercion."
This view is elaborated by Dr.
Yehuda Ben-Meir, a former National
Religious Party luminary and the only
Meimad leader with legislative experi-
ence.
"For example," he notes, "we feel
that Reform and Conservative Jews
should be allowed to live and worship
as they see fit. And even though we
don't accept their views on conversion,
we see no reason why their converts
shouldn't be registered as Israelis under
the Law of Return. By the same token,
we believe that their synagogues should
receive the same support as other syna-
gogues and their representatives should
be allowed to become members of reli-
gious councils."
Ben-Meir argues that "it would be
better for a Jew to worship in a
Conservative or Reform synagogue
rather than to avoid going to a syna-
gogue at all."
Will Dr. Ben-Meir be expressing
these views in the Knesset? Probably ,,
not. For while he is doing his best to
ensure that Meimad is represented in
the Israeli legislature, he isn't interested
in returning to full-time politics.
However, among those who might
Washington A) — The IT.
Holocaust Memorial Museum
ousted Walter Reich as its direc-
tor amid continuing fallout from
the flip-flops regarding the invi-
tation to Palestinian Authority
Chairman Ya.ssir Arafat to tour
the museum.
Reich, who will leave March
31, two months before his con-
' tract expires, has been under
attack from the museum council's
chairman, Miles Lernian, for
refusing to escort Arafat on a visit
that ultimately did not occur.
Some opponents of the Arafat
visit and friends of Reich are call-
ing on President Clinton to sack
Lerman when his term expires this
spring.
Sharp Rise
In Abuse Calls
Outrage Over
Rabbinical Ruling
Two Orthodox men walk through the
streets of Jerusalem's Old City.
represent Meimad in the Knesset is
Rabbi Michael Melchior, the man in
charge of its day-to-day operations.
Melchior expects support not only
from the moderate Orthodox who
have become disenchanted with the
National Religious Party, but also
from those secularists who want to
maintain Israel's Jewish character but
fear the right-wing Orthodox and the
ultra-Orthodox. There have already
been feelers about cooperation from
the secular Third Way Party, which is
part of Netanyahu's government, and
from Shinui, a centrist opposition
group.
It remains to be seen how all this will
add up on election day. Meanwhile,
religious moderates are hopeful.
carcely a day goes by
without a rabbinical rul-
ing that outrages reli-
gious moderates and
most other Israelis.
Last week, for example, the
Petach Tikva Rabbinate declared
that popular Orthodox singing
star Dudu Fisher would no
longer be allowed to serve as a
cantor in Petah Tikva syna-
gogues, because he had appeared
on the same billboard as female
singer Margalit Tsanani in a joint
call for greater understanding
between the Orthodox and non-
Orthodox.
The ruling was not only out-
rageous but ridiculous: Fisher
only serves as a cantor overseas,
where he also appears in top
Broadway and London musicals.
Producers hire him even though
he refuses to perform on the
Sabbath or Jewish holidays, in
accordance with his religious
beliefs. ❑
Jerusalem (JTA) — The Women's
Zionist Organization in Israel
reported a sharp rise in the num-
ber of calls from women on its
domestic abuse hotline in recent
days.
There were some 50 calls in
one week, compared to an average
of 20 previously, according to the
organization's officials, who attrib-
uted the increase to the tensions
with Iraq.
Judge restores
Citizenship
Washington UTA) -- A U.S. fed-
'edge restored the American
ha of John Demjanjuk,
t
to worker cleared of
e was a notorious
and known as Ivan
\
convicted
humanity in 1988
to death. His convictio'
turned on appeal, an d.
Supreme Court ruled in
Demjanjuk was not Ivan the
Terrible and freed himafter seven
years in prison.
3
❑
3/6
1998
35