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“Who is a Jew” is Back!

“Who is a Jew” is Back!

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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Three weddings and a protest

Three weddings and a protest

Today, at Temple Emanu-El in New York, New York three young couples from Israel got married, making the statement that the basic right of marriage freedom should be denied to no one.

Yair Lapid's forceful speech against legislating religious coercion

Yair Lapid's forceful speech against legislating religious coercion

The forceful speech made by Yair Lapid at the Knesset yesterday during a debate on a bill proposed by MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni, Chair of the Knesset Finance Committee, regarding Shabbat.

New report sheds light on Haredim in Higher Education

New report sheds light on Haredim in Higher Education

A recent report by the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel sheds light on another important dimension of the official statistics on Haredim in Higher Education that are so frequently cited by government officials.

Religion & gender discrimination in Israel

Religion & gender discrimination in Israel

An important reaffirmation of Hiddush's assertion that addressing the challenge of religious freedom & equality requires a more comprehensive, systemic, proactive, and bold overhauling was published this month by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in its sixth periodic report on Israel.

71% of Jewish Israelis favor allowing railway maintenance work on Shabbat

71% of Jewish Israelis favor allowing railway maintenance work on Shabbat

The public believes in the principle of 'live and let live,' and it wants to support freedom of religion and freedom from religion in Israel.

Religion & State was front and center at the 2017 General Assembly

Religion & State was front and center at the 2017 General Assembly

The religion-state stew is clearly boiling. This week, the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America convened in Los Angeles, and these challenges were front and center.

Corruption in the name of God

Corruption in the name of God

In the last couple days, a new chapter was added to the never ending saga of Israeli religious leaders who view the law as merely a suggestion. Whether for personal benefit or political opportunism, they do not hesitate to deviate from law and common norms.

Deputy Minister Hotovely: pluralistic Judaism

Deputy Minister Hotovely: pluralistic Judaism "emptied Judaism of content"

At a conference of the American-Israeli community in Washington, the Deputy Foreign Minister said that non-Orthodox Judaism is not accepted in Israel. Director of the Reform movement: "Hotovely joins the wild campaign of incitement that has been going on in recent months against Reform Judaism."

The Kotel controversy

The Kotel controversy

Many are following the twists and turns of the Kotel controversy with great interest and often anxiety. While grateful to the Jewish Week for featuring his take on the current state of the controversy, Rabbi Uri Regev feels that further contextualization and explanation is needed beyond the quotes that were reported.

Religious extremism emanating from Israel

Religious extremism emanating from Israel

Not content to exert their influence within the Haredi community, fundamentalist religious leaders and their sponsors have taken to attacking the Modern Orthodoxy community, which extols the virtues of Torah together with modernity and secular education.

The religion-state aspects of Israel's Nation-state bill

The religion-state aspects of Israel's Nation-state bill

Next week the Knesset Special Committee on the Nation-State Bill (formally, 'Basic Law: Israel - The Nation-State of the Jewish People') will be deliberating on the revised draft bill, which was initiated by fourteen MKs from the Likud, Jewish Home, Yisrael Beiteinu, and Kulanu parties.

Yom Kippur sermon 5778: Suite 117

Yom Kippur sermon 5778: Suite 117

The Israeli government’s decision to back out of its pledge to expand a non-Orthodox prayer space at the Western Wall, and ongoing discrimination against the Reform and Conservative movements, have brought to a head a crisis that has been brewing for decades. If not resolved, this crisis will destroy the relationship between the Jewish state and the Jewish people.

Rosh HaShana sermon 5778: Being a Good Jew

Rosh HaShana sermon 5778: Being a Good Jew

Most of us were born after the rise of a Jewish State, and can't imagine life otherwise. But some people consider it God's miracle.

Israel Religion & State Index 2017

Israel Religion & State Index 2017

65% of the Jewish Israeli public supports granting equal official status to the three largest streams of world Jewry. A majority supports the involvement of Diaspora Jewry in promoting freedom of religion and equality in Israel. 65% of the Jewish Israeli public believes that the Nation-State Bill should anchor the guarantee of freedom of religion and conscience in law.

The Bitter Taste of Victory - by Rabbi Pamela Frydman

The Bitter Taste of Victory - by Rabbi Pamela Frydman

On August 31st, the Israeli Supreme Court took up a matter brought by Hiddush, Women of the Wall and the Reform and Conservative Movements. The issue at hand is whether to require the government to adhere to, and implement, the Kotel agreement.

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