Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Religion and State in Israel - September 10, 2012

Religion and State in Israel

Editor – Joel Katz
Religion and State in Israel is not affiliated with any organization or movement.



By Rabbi Seth Farber
What’s at stake here is not simply the rights of a number of single women. Who holds the power at the mikve is emblematic of who controls Jewish life in Israel. The time has come for the state to allow people to live full Jewish lives and not to put up obstacles in their way.


High Court judges require religious services minister, chief rabbi to explain why women visiting ritual bath are asked personal questions about their marital status




Interview with Tzohar’s Rabbi David Stav

Tzohar rabbi says Chief Rabbinate failed in its duty to bring secular, religious Jews closer together

By Rabbi Yisrael Rosen, Dean of the Zomet Institute 




Hiddush poster






By Anat Hoffman
One day, riding home from school on a public bus, Ariella took a seat in the front of the bus. A few ultra-Orthodox men also boarded the bus and stood next to her.
Then the bus driver asked her to move from her seat in the front to the back of the bus where she had to stand for the duration of her journey.
Seeing the sign posted on the bus saying that passengers could sit wherever they want, Ariella was outraged. She decided to fight for her rights.


The shrinking stigma (premium content article)
Dov Lipman was catapulted to national prominence on the back of Beit Shemesh's sectarian violence. Now he has started a new political party to unify the disparate ethnic ... The violence in Beit Shemesh was quickly seized upon by the media ... Beit Shemesh comprises several ethnic and religious groups
In 2011, the entire world descended on Beit Shemesh as a drama played out on the border between two neighborhoods, one populated by the




By Elana Sztokman
Interview with Deb Houben, Women of the Wall



http://www.reform.org.il/






By Rabbi Nardy Grun











The Tal Law, which granted yeshiva students exemption from military service,expired over a month ago, but army and political figures don't seem to be in any...

By Merav Michaeli
What could have been an amazing opportunity to reorganize Israeli society and reduce its internal tensions remains a ticking bomb of the type from which not even America can save us.

By Shani Boianjiu
As a female soldier, the so-called burden equality issue has a flip side: It would mean having to accept the burden of serving alongside thousands of individuals who see me as less than equal. For them, I could never be a soldier first; I would always be a woman, whose actions may spell danger to their most deeply held beliefs.


How exemption from conscription for ultra-Orthodox Jews is exposing Israel's faultlines.







Shorashim says difficulties in proving Jewishness, failure to convert Soviet Israelis of Jewish descent threatens Israel.
















When visiting holy sites or religious neighborhoods, ensure you blend in and avoid causing offense by wearing suitable attire.






Lipman vs the mayor (Premium content article)
Dov Lipman was catapulted to national prominence on the back of Beit Shemesh’s sectarian violence. Now he has started a new political party to unify the disparate ethnic groups in the city.













In the first of a three part series, Judy Maltz checks in on alumni of Young Judaea, America's oldest Zionist youth movement, which has proven to be a breeding ground for major Israeli movers and shakers.





Nochi Dankner and Rabbi Yaakov Ifergan ("The X-ray rabbi")

Hundreds of worshippers flock to famous rabbi's tomb in Bulgaria. Their leader, Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto, compares Jewish victory over Persia in Book of Esther to current threats faced by Israel


















Book Reveiw: The Political Philosophy of Zionism: Trading Jewish Words for a Hebraic Land, by Eyal Chowers. Cambridge University Press
A political scientist examines the ways the Zionist project looked at language and time. Is there something inherent in Hebrew that made it unsuitable for building a state?






Editor – Joel Katz
Religion and State in Israel is not affiliated with any organization or movement.
All rights reserved.