Renegade Jews in Israel

February 13, 2011 - 10:17 AM by · 1 Comment
Filed under: A New Reality, coexistence, General, Israeliness, Life, Religion 

The community where I live is religiously mixed along the lines of most Israeli neighborhoods – mostly secular, some observant, some traditional. The religious establishment is very conservative, with a small C, and run under the stringent guidelines of the local chief rabbi. While synagogues dot the neighborhoods as frequently as mahkolot (convenience stores), there has never been an non-Orthodox congregation in the community, until my wife and I were involved in establishing an egalitarian minyan an number of years ago.

After meeting exclusively on Friday nights for years, one of our congregants took the initiative and launched every other week Shabbat morning services a few months ago, to resounding success. In a room donated by the local community center, upwards of 25-30 adults have been meeting and praying together under the auspices of the Masorti Movement (the Conservative Movement of Israel).

Things have been kept pretty word of mouth and grass roots, until in an effort to boost attendance, our sparkplug initiated a story about us in the local newspaper, including a photo of two people who help lead our services (male and female rabbinical students) holding a Torah.

Evidently, when the religious establishment saw the photo and story, they were none too pleased. And we heard through the grapevine that the chief rabbi was planning on paying a surprise visit to our Shabbat morning service. We weren’t sure whether he was going to try and disrupt it, or attempt to speak to us about the ills of men and women sitting and praying together. We were quite sure he wasn’t going to sit down among us and put his arm around the woman next to him and sing ‘Adon Olam.’

Ahead of the expected event, we made contingency plans as to how to react – do we let him in? Let him speak? Confront him if he attempts to cause disruptions? In the end, he didn’t show, so we didn’t have to implement any of our plans, but they’re ready for next time.

It’s just a little weird that in the Jewish state, we have to develop contingency plans against a rabbi who is hoping to prevent Jews from holding a Shabbat morning service in a format that is recognized and respected everywhere in the Western world.

Tags: , , , ,

A (c)hair raising experience

March 17, 2010 - 10:43 PM by · 2 Comments
Filed under: A New Reality, coexistence, General, Israeliness, Life, Religion, Social Justice 

Praying in the Jewish tradition can be hazardous to your health – at least if you’re a woman at the Kotel.

On every Rosh Hodesh – the Women of the Wall - a coalition of Conservative, Orthodox and Reform women – gather on the women’s side of the Wall for the morning Shaharit service. And on every Rosh Hodesh, there violent attempts by seemingly religious men to stop them.

YouTube Preview Image

On Tuesday, chair throwing was the violent act of choice. Rena Magen, one of the participants in the service described it like this:

I thought you would like to see this video of our “c-hair raising” experience at the Kotel this past Tuesday when I went to daven with the Women at the Wall.. it was not even 7:00 am yet (the starting time of the minyan) and we were simply standing around waiting, not even 10 of us.

All of a sudden, chairs started flying at us from the men’s side of the mechitzah, with great force. About 10 total, one after the other, very quickly. It was so outrageous that we hardly had time to be afraid. I am amazed that whoever shot this clip had the presence of mind to do so.

The police came quite quickly after it was all over and from that moment on there were MANY police guarding us on either side of the mechitzah. We had a nice service after that, complete with the requisite angry incessant shouting from the men and the nasty comments and curses from the women.

The group’s next minyan is Thursday, April 15, Rosh Chodesh Iyar. Let’s make it a big one…

Tags: , , , , ,

Purim costumes

February 27, 2010 - 9:51 PM by · 1 Comment
Filed under: coexistence, General, History and Culture, Holidays, Life, Religion 

Purim is here, and amid the remains of a lightning-filled 48 hour winter storm, we’re headed out to hear the Megilla at our local havurah gathering.

It’s interesting to be part of – and the instigators – behind an egalitatrian minyan in a community where most people are either secular or orthodox, and where the chief rabbi of the city is a Conservative and Reform-hating Jew. We sort of have to keep things under the radar and it’s a little paradoxical that the religious pluralism American Jews – for instance – enjoy as a matter of fact is not available without a fight in the Jewish state.

Costumes, as usual, are last-minute. The young son is going as a Man-in-black Secret Service type, the teenage son was going to go as a soldier until he decided to stay home instead.

My wife chose a mix and match American football player motif, while I decided to be somewhat timely. I’m wearing a tennis outfit with tennis raquet and sunglasses. Can anybody guess who I am?

I guess the ‘Dubai’ sign sort of gives it away…
Happy Purim!

Tags: , , , ,

Celebrating Purim

March 10, 2009 - 11:00 PM by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Food, History and Culture, Holidays, Israeliness, Life 

purim2It’s Purim time, and here’s a couple photos from our annual Megilla reading. My family belongs to an egalitarian ‘havura’ – one of dozens around the country connected to the Masorti Movement (Conservative in the US).

About 50 revelrers gathered to hear the mitzvah of the reading, which was shared this year by Rachel, a member of our congregation who learned how to read the Megillah for the first time, and by Liron, a rabbinical student from the Conservative seminary – Neve Shechter – in Jerusalem. There was a lively Purim quiz in between chapters for the children, and some major nosh time after with oznei haman (Hamentuschen) and drinks.

purim3These days, with Iran and Hamas and Hizbullah breathing down our shoulders, it’s always reassuring to hear the story of how an enemy of the Jewish people got his just rewards. Happy Purim to all.

Tags: , ,

 

© 2012 ISRAELITY | Sitemap