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Local leaders react to Israel’s suspension of egalitarian spot at the Wall.

STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A

disappointing sense of betrayal. A
kowtowing by Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu to the increas-
ing power of the ultra-Orthodox in Knesset
to hold onto his own power. An affront
to their religious practices and a fear of
prompting an even wider divide between
diaspora Jews and Israel.
These are just some reactions that Metro
Detroit Jewish leaders and clergy repre-
senting Conservative and Reform move-
ments locally expressed to recent decisions
by the Knesset: to suspend plans to create
a permanent space at the Western Wall in
Jerusalem for egalitarian prayer as well as
a referendum on conversion that grants
official authority to the Chief Rabbinate,
throwing Jewish identity and who is quali-
fied for the Israeli Law of Return into ques-
tion.
“What is truly disappointing about
this for diaspora Jews is
we were trying to build
a coalition of religious
pluralism in Israel,”
said David Kurzmann,
executive director of the
local Jewish Community
Relations Council/
AJC, referring to work
David Kurzmann
the American Jewish
Committee conducted
for decades to connect
Jews in Israel and in the diaspora and

receive official recognition of the Masorti
(Conservative) and Reform movements in
Israel.
“The AJC and the work we have been
doing with the Jewish Religious Equality
Coalition to create an environment of
Jewish pluralism in Israel has now been all
thrown out the window,” he said. “We feel
blindsided by this action. We support Israel
and defend her at every turn in the face
of anti-Israel bias in the media and in the
Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement.
“For me, as a proud Conservative Jew
and a Zionist, I feel my practice of Judaism
is more welcome here in America than by
the Israeli government. It is a slap in the
face.”
Kurzmann added that often American
Jews do not think decisions made by the
Knesset affect their Jewish identities. But
this time, it is different. These decisions
matter.
“Benjamin Netanyahu
walked away from agree-
ments that had been
made in good faith
without so much as a
discussion with leaders
from North America,”
said Temple Israel Rabbi
Rabbi Jennifer
Jennifer Kaluzny, backing
Kaluzny
up her sentiments with
a quote from the World
Union for Progressive Judaism: “The unity

of the Jewish people, a central pillar of
Zionism, has been seriously harmed.”
Like Kaluzny, Rabbi Steven Rubenstein
of Congregation Beth
Ahm in West Bloomfield
said he felt let down by
Netanyahu, who made a
deal with the ultra-Ortho-
dox parties in the Knesset
to hold onto power at the
expense of most of the
Jewish people “for whom
Rabbi Steven
an egalitarian space at the
Rubenstein
Kotel would be meaning-
ful.”
While Rubenstein, like several rabbis
approached for comment, does not believe
the decisions will alienate his congregants
from Israel, he hopes it will lead the way to
become more vocal to Israelis and Israeli
organizations about why pluralism there is
important to them.
“We support the State of Israel,” he said.
“A decision like this raises the question
about how the State of Israel supports us in
our religious identity.”

PEOPLEHOOD VS. CONVENANTAL

Temple Kol Ami’s Rabbi Brent Gutmann,
writing in an email sent from Jerusalem,
where he was attending an annual confer-
ence run by the Shalom Hartman Institute
with 150 other rabbis from across the reli-
gious spectrum, explained that the deci-

continued on page 12

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July 27 • 2017

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