Communities strong, says Israeli Progressive
Lootsteen wants an inquiry into the security lapse leading to October 7.
After 13 months of war, the 54 communities of the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism (IMPJ) remain resolute, says chair Yair Lootsteen, speaking to The AJN on the sidelines of the November 7-10 Union for Progressive Judaism (UPJ) biennial conference in Canberra.
The gathering comprised some 170 delegates from communities in Australia, New Zealand and Asia, under the banner of “Come together: Strengthening our communities in challenging times”.
The evacuation of Israel’s western Negev and north has torn IMPJ communities, said Lootsteen, a British-born, Canadian-raised Jerusalemite. Rabbi Yael Vurgan (who visited Australia) is looking after people from Sha’ar HaNegev. Its slain mayor Ofir Libstein was a close friend of Lootsteen.
Rabbi Yael Karrie supports residents of Mateh Asher in the western Galil, now in hotels. Rabbi Orit Rozenblit cares for people from Poteach Shearim in Kiryat Shmona, where over half the homes were destroyed. In Lootsteen’s community, Kol HaNeshamah in Jerusalem, one family has four sons on duty. “Can you imagine the anxiety that parents like that have?”
Lootsteen, who served in the IDF’s Military Advocate General Corps for 23 years, said, “I think we’ve done as much as we can in Gaza. Having killed [the Hamas] leadership, it’s time to think about the day after. But the war can’t end until the hostages and/or their bodies are returned.”
Their return is demanded by IMPJ supporters in their weekly havdalah gatherings at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square.
Notably he expressed deep concern about “the level of human suffering on the Palestinian side”.
Inside Israel, the IMPJ’s interfaith work “with Arabs, Druze, Baha’i” has helped keep the country stable.
He is firm about stopping Hezbollah – “a tentacle of the Iran octopus” – and restoring Israel’s north. He is concerned about the dismissal of Yoav Gallant as Defence Minister over his push to draft Charedim to share Israel’s military burden.
Lootsteen wants an inquiry into the security lapse leading to October 7.
The return of Donald Trump makes him hope the incoming US president, who he notes is deeply troubling for many Jewish Americans, can solve the conflict as promised, “a remarkable achievement, perhaps his first as president, but I’d hope that we are there beforehand”.
He said the IMPJ continues to oppose changes to Israel’s judicial system.
“Conversions, religious pluralism and many of our values – democracy, equality, rule of law, an independent judiciary – all those were going to be affected, and as a result, we were the only religious organisation in Israel to take that stance from day one.”
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