Scales from page 33

few years:' But notoriety is not at
all what she's looking for. She's just
seeking out what she feels she's
due, but admits a major benefit in
being noticed. "By calling atten-
tion to the needs of one small
community in Israel that wants
liberal Judaism, we are also raising
the consciousness of Israelis who
normally wouldn't give the issue a
second's thought:' she said. "Once
they hear about it, however, they
are quite responsive. We are edu-
cating Israelis that liberal Judaism
is alive and well in North America,
and that the Reform and
Conservative streams are main-
stream, not 'cults' as some
Orthodox rabbis in Israel would
like the Israelis to believ'

Hometown Visit

During her trip to the Detroit
area, Rabbi Gold has been invited
to share her views and her part in
the struggle for religious plural-
ism in Israel by various support-
ers and old friends.
"When I learned of Rabbi
Gold's noble cause in Israel and
the great battle she is fighting, I

thought, `It's about time'," said
Judaism grows, we continue to
Rabbi Aaron Starr of the Reform-
strengthen Am Yisrael (the collec-
Renewal Congregation Shir
tive Jewish nation); he said.
Tikvah in Troy where she will
Because the suit's positive
results would directly benefit all
speak this weekend.
"Like Judaism, Israel needs to
non-Orthodox Israelis, members
of the Conservative movement
serve all of its people. The fact
also are hopeful of the impact of a
that 80 percent of the country is
secular means 80 percent of the
win.
"I have been involved in pro-
country don't find their place
within traditional Judaism, but
Israel activities all my life and my
few of them have been exposed to
ideal about Israel is that there
liberal forms. Traditional Judaism
would be much more pluralism
there than there is now,"
is wonderful, but it's
said Jeremy Salinger, who
not for everybody so
is instrumental in bring-
it's fabulous that they
ing Rabbi Gold to speak at
now can be exposed to
the Conservative Oak Park
a different kind of
Judaism where they
Congregation Beth
can find their place."
Shalom, where both
Salinger and Rabbi Gold's
Looking even fur-
mother, Lillian Gold, are
ther, Rabbi Joshua
Rabbi Ben nett
members. "I am very
Bennett of Temple
Israel in West
proud that Miri is pushing
forward on that."
Bloomfield said, "I
A friend of Rabbi Gold's
believe that the liberal
from her years in Oak
movements in Israel
Park, Salinger is local
must be offered the
chance to flourish as it
president of the Ameinu, a
pro-Progressive Israel
represents the future of
Judaism around the
agency who will co-spon-
Rabbi Nel son
sor her talk at the syna-
world. As liberal

Uphill Battle

The Reform movement in Israel fights for recognition.

Shelli Liebman Dorfman

Staff Writer

hile there are 1.5 million
Reform Jews affiliated with
900 congregations in North
America, the growth of the Reform move-
ment in Israel has been a slow one. "But
a steady one clarified Dr. Noah Nesin,
president of the Maine-based Northeast
Council of the Union for Reform Judaism,
the central body of the Reform movement
in North America.
The Reform movement began in
Germany at the beginning of the 19th
century. The earliest Reform rabbis settled
in Israel in the 1930s and the first Israeli
Reform synagogue, Har El Congregation
in Jerusalem formed in1958.
In 1965, the Israel Movement for
Progressive Judaism (IMPJ) was formed,
to include all non-Orthodox congregations
and organizations in Israel. It is affiliated
with the World Union for Progressive
Judaism (WUPJ) — the international arm

W

34

of the Reform Jewish movement — which
moved its headquarters to Jerusalem in
1973.
While Progressive Judaism — also
known as Liberal or Reform Judaism — is
the largest Jewish stream in the world, Dr.
Nesin said, "The majority of Israeli society
still doesn't know what it is. But in recent
years, it has been catching on as a mod-
em alternative for religious expression':
he said.
His hope is that Reform Rabbi Mid
Gold's petition to the Israeli Supreme
Court to be recognized as a community
rabbi will help to raise the consciousness
of Israelis.
Although there have been landmark
cases, like the 2002 Supreme Court rul-
ing allowing those converted in Reform
and Conservative ceremonies outside of
Israel to be recognized as Israeli Jews, Dr.
Nesin said measures like temporary resi-
dency in the . country where the conver-
sion takes place make it a more lengthy
and complicated process.

"What we want is

recognition of the

legitimacy of having

a liberal rabbi —

in a community

who wants it."

—Rabbi Gold

gogue."We are very excited about
what Miri is accomplishing;' said
Beth Shalom Rabbi David Nelson.
"The Conservative movement has
linked up with her incredible
undertaking. It will be an honor to
have her speak to the congrega-
tion and tell us — we hope —
about future successes. The kind
of response she's mounting before
the court is long overdue but now
the time has arrived."

A Strong Response

Rabbi Gold has been the object of

contempt and even ridicule by
those who disagree with her
stance. Ha'aretz quoted the Israeli
deputy minister of the Social
Affairs Ministry, Avraham Ravitz,
as having said he hopes "the High
Court of Justice will put an end to
the exploitation to which various
clowns subject it. The court does-
n't have to let these funny out-
bursts fool us',' he said.
As in Israel, not all Americans
agree with Rabbi Gold's position.
"If some kibbutz or group of any-
thing wants to choose someone to
be their leader; if they set the

of Israelis, who are not members of our
"Rabbis like Rabbi Gold can be the
synagogues, but use them for b'nai mitz-
spiritual leader for their communities and
vah and weddings — even though these
run services," he said, but "the State of
are all people who already had to be
Israel does not recognize them as they
do Orthodox rabbis:
married outside of the state or by
Orthodox rabbis first': Rabbi Davids said.
"Those who want to be married by a
The Israeli Reform movement includes
Reform rabbi:' he said, "must go some-
educational centers and a youth move-
where else and have a civil wedding and
ment. "And from this our impact goes
then come back and have a wedding in
much further:' Rabbi Davids said.
their Reform congregation even though
With close ties between the American
the second one will have no standing in
and Israeli Reform move-
the state
ments, programs of the IRAC
But Dr. Nesin is encouraged
— which filed the petition on
with findings such as those
Rabbi Gold's behalf — are
from a 2001 survey of the
funded by the WUPJ, ARZA
Israel Religious Action Center
and the URJ.
(IRAC), which found that 48
Rabbi Gold is not asking for
percent of Israelis supported
something unique and spe-
granting equal status to non-
cial," said Rabbi Davids, a for-
Orthodox movements.
mer rabbinical school class-
There are 10,000 official
mate of Rabbi Gold. "She is
members of 30 Progressive
Rabbi Davi ds
truly providing spiritual and
congregations in Israel,
religious guidance to a com-
according to Rabbi Andrew
munity who request it. For formal recogni-
Davids, executive director of the
Association of Reform Zionists of America tion of that to be denied is untenable
(ARZA) in New York, the Zionist arm of the and ultimately unfair.
"What she is doing in the trenches is
Reform movement and an affiliate of the
on the cutting edge of the transformation
URJ.
of Israeli society:'
"But there are hundreds of thousands

November 10 2005