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“Who is a Jew” is Back!

02/12/2022 00:10

In recent days, there have been reports in the media from the coalition negotiation rooms that the Likud has accepted the demand of the ultra-Orthodox parties to change the law in a way that will prevent those who converted in Israel outside the Chief Rabbinate from receiving recognition as Jews, even at the civil level. This is not only a change to a long-standing ruling recognizing Reform and Conservative conversions in Israel, but also a step that is directed against Modern Orthodox conversions from the past few years, which are aimed at facilitating conversions of immigrants from the former Soviet Union.

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Don’t undermine Jewish unity - the State Conversion in Israel bill

Uri Regev 01/06/2017 23:01

Minister Arye Deri’s is obsessed with eradicating any state recognition of Reform and Conservative Judaism in Israel. Now he’s submitted the “State Conversion in Israel” bill, which would for the first time legislate the exclusive authority of the state-established rabbinic bodies over conversion.

Ritual Bath Law passes, Jewish Agency plays Haredi parties' game

Uri Regev 28/07/2016 16:10

The discriminatory Ritual Bath bill proposed by MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni and his colleagues, which will ban the non-Orthodox movements from using Israel's publicly funded mikva'ot for conversion ceremonies was formally passed into law on Monday night, July 25.

An open letter to Natan Sharansky

Uri Regev 16/07/2016 12:56

Mr. Sharansky, you praised the rabbinate for “connecting the Jewish state with Judaism.” Sadly, you are wrong, for the monopolistic and coercive rabbinate is alienating Israeli Jews from Judaism.

62% support right of non-Orthodox converts to use mikva'ot

28/06/2016 15:48

86% of Israel's secular Jewish population support this right, but 91% of the ultra-Orthodox population is opposed. Hiddush VP Shahar Ilan: "This Knesset vote was nothing less than spitting in the face of world Jewry. The best way to predict the Government Coalition's course of action on matters of religion and state is to poll the Israeli public and assume that the Coalition will do exactly the opposite."

Israel's ritual bath controversy

Uri Regev 16/06/2016 23:00

Unsurprisingly, though extremely disappointingly, MK Gafni's partners in the Coalition Government have all bowed to his demands, and are supporting his legislative initiative to undo the landmark Supreme Court ruling on mikva'ot.

Politics casts shadow over encouraging legal progress & public opinion

Uri Regev 26/05/2016 12:07

Hiddush derives encouragement from developments on the fronts of public opinion and the legal arena, but on the political scene, the news is more bleak than encouraging when it comes to issues of religious freedom & equality.

Landmark ruling to allow non-Orthodox converts access to all mikva’ot

Uri Regev 23/02/2016 11:01

A new front, far more vicious and perilous, has emerged. The Chief Rabbinate and ultra-Orthodox politicians are gearing up to prevent the implementation of this ruling to further undermine the Supreme Court and demonize the non-Orthodox movements.

2015 Religion & State Index - support for religious freedom rises

16/09/2015 17:05

The good news, illuminated by the 2015 Israel Religion & State Index, is the continually increasing Israeli public support for freedom of religion and equality of burden. The bad news is the gaping divide between the public’s will on matters of religion and state and the Government’s coalition agreements.

Revealing interview with Chief Rabbi David Lau

Uri Regev 08/09/2015 16:29

Chief Rabbi David Lau reminds us once again why the mindset of the Israeli Chief Rabbinate is so misguided and objectionable. His manipulative approach is rejected throughout the Jewish diaspora and nowhere throughout the democratic Jewish communities would such “logic” hold water.

Analysis of Israelis from the Former Soviet Union

David Bogomolny 19/08/2015 01:41

The graphs below show the opinions held by FSU olim in Israel, as compared to the general, Jewish Israeli public. It should go without saying that this demographic is the most adversely affected by the Orthodox Rabbinate's monopolistic powers, and there is no way one could envisage the successful absorption of the FSU immigrant population into Israel society if these issues are not resolved - first and foremost, the right to marry freely!

The Joke of Israel’s Civil Partnership Law

16/07/2012 15:19

Fewer than 1.5 couples register with the Civil Partnership registrar each month according to statistics the Ministry of Justice released to Hiddush. Hiddush President Rabbi Uri Regev: “The time has come for Yisrael Beiteinu to realize its mistake and demand the passage of a real Civil Marriage law.”

The Rabbi Miri Gold Case Demystified

07/06/2012 17:44

In this major achievment of Israel's move toward recognition of non-Orthodox rabbis, we must be careful to address challenges posed, and the road ahead.

MK Eichler: Reform Jews worse than Arabs

05/03/2012 11:19

Hiddush CEO, Rabbi Uri Regev: Eichler’s behavior reveals the sad truth of the ultra-Orthodox parties in the Israeli Knesset is deep hatred of the other, simply because they are other.

The Haredi Establishment Versus Ruth the Moabite

07/06/2011 11:16

If Ruth the Moabite were alive today, no court in Israel would be able to let her convert, and King David would never have been born. The haredi establishment constitutes an almost impenetrable barrier on the road to Judaism, and its hand is very light on the trigger when it comes to overturning conversions. The time has come to dismantle the haredi monopoly.

A Free Market for Beliefs

01/06/2011 12:44

A Hiddush program for privatizing religious services and eliminating the monopoly on them.

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