Concern over Kotel, conversions
ON Simchat Torah this year, a celebration in a central Jerusalem public square saw men and women dancing with Torah scrolls, but for Rabbi Gilad Kariv, the reaction of onlookers was noteworthy.
ON Simchat Torah this year, a celebration in a central Jerusalem public square saw men and women dancing with Torah scrolls, but for Rabbi Gilad Kariv, the reaction of onlookers was noteworthy.
“There were no demonstrators,” said the executive director of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism. “There were many watching, including those of moderate Orthodox appearance, even some Charedis joining in the singing, as the natural thing to do.”
Ahead of his visit to Australia, co-hosted by the Union for Progressive Judaism and the Australian Reform Zionist Association, Rabbi Kariv spoke to The AJN of Israel’s “Jewish pluralistic renaissance”.
In his eyes, a festering dispute with the Israeli government, after it bowed to Charedi coalition partners and dropped plans for an egalitarian prayer space at the Kotel, is far removed from the Israeli public’s growing embrace of Progressive Judaism.
Rabbi Kariv retains confidence in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ability to reach a resolution after the government abruptly cancelled its commitment to the egalitarian Kotel precinct, with the matter now before Israel’s High Court.
He described the crisis as “not only an internal Israeli matter, but of global Jewish concern”.
The backdown in June drew criticism from the broader Jewish world, including the Zionist Federation of Australia.
Rabbi Kariv refuted claims that an egalitarian space already exists, as the remote site is “fully separated” from the main precinct, and is “a marginal place” for “second-class Jews”.
“But despite the difficulties, more and more Israelis are willing to try pluralistic experiences of Judaism,” he said. Progressive synagogues in Israel now number 50, almost doubling in the past six years. “In recent years, tens of thousands of secular Jews have joined us.”
However, marriages performed by non-Orthodox rabbis are not recognised by the Orthodox Chief Rabbinate, which holds a monopoly over marriage and conversion.
The conversion issue is also now before the High Court, said Rabbi Kariv, after “the government did a u-turn” on promises to have non-Orthodox conversions legally recognised.
During his visit, Rabbi Kariv will update Progressive communities in Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coast on these issues. “The Progressive community in Australia has for years played a very central role.”
Rabbi Gilad Kariv will be in Melbourne from November 1-5, and in Sydney from November 5-9. For more information, email jocelyn@upj.org.au.
PETER KOHN
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