“Netanyahu Refuses to Talk to Us. But We American Jews Won’t Be Silenced” by Rabbi Rick Jacobs – Haaretz – September 24, 2017

“While Netanyahu cuts us Reform Jews out, he payrolls those who spew hatred towards us. But we won’t give up on Israel, equality or democracy. And we will continue to demand our rights”  (Rabbi Rick Jacobs)

In my memory, the non-Orthodox American Jewish community and the Prime Minister of Israel have never been in a greater crisis of trust. This is not good for the Jewish people, said Rabbi Rick Jacobs, the President of the Union for Reform Jews representing 1.5 million American Jews. Rabbi Jacobs is right and he says so eloquently and forthrightly in an open letter printed in Haaretz this week. (see link below)

As the chairman of the national Board of the Association of Reform Zionists of America,  the largest Zionist movement in the United States, I stand proudly with Rabbi Jacobs in his call to Prime Minister Netanyahu to heal this terrible breach between the Israeli government and the non-Orthodox American Jewish community. We American Reform Jews can no more walk away from Israel  than we can walk away from our own country when our own political leadership fails us.

Read Rabbi Jacob’s powerful letter here – http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/1.813840