The Academy for Jewish Religion, a transdenominational rabbinical seminary, will open its doors in Los Angeles this fall, giving formal expression to a longtime trend toward a more personalized, spiritually oriented, pluralistic Judaism, academy founders say.
Amos Oz, Hebrew novelist, secular prophet and self-proclaimed \”non-synagogue\” Jew, has joined his local Reform congregation in Arad, the Negev desert town where he has lived since leaving Kibbutz Hulda a decade ago.
Reuven Hammer is an American-born Conservative rabbi who has lived in Jerusalem since 1973, working as a writer and teacher — Conservative rabbi is not much of a career option inIsrael — and raising five kids along the way. Among variouspart-time jobs, he heads the bet din, or rabbinical court, whichoversees Conservative conversions in Israel.
More than 40 rabbis, from Orthodox to Reform, look for ways to increase respect among Jews
More than 40 rabbis, from Orthodox to Reform, look for ways to increase respect among Jews
New York publishing executive Steven Baum is a lifelong Conservative Jew who recently joined a Reform temple, and he\’s not happy about it. \”There\’s hardly any Hebrew,\” he says. \”They don\’t wear yarmulkes. It\’s just not the Judaism I grew up with.\”
Predictably, it happened again. Conservative and Reform Jews choseto demonstrate their right to worship at the Kotel in their way, menand women together. This time, however, the worshipers had officialclearance. But their permit did not help. Sadly, but alsopredictably, Orthodox Jews prevented them from praying in their way.Passions flared. The scene became ugly. Religious extremists,unconcerned about Torah prohibitions against striking another person,became violent. Hurt and humiliated, the non-Orthodox worshipers wereforcibly removed by the police. And, of course, the media had beenprepped. The cameras were ready. They captured the tears of thevanquished and the jeers of the violent. The angry scenes wereflashed across the world.
We are rapidly approaching a momentous occasion — the 50th anniversary of Israel. It should be a time for unquestioned Jewish pride and Jewish unity. Yet this may not be the case.
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