Religion and State in Israel - December 26, 2013

Religion and State in Israel

December 26, 2013

If you are reading in email or RSS feed, please click here to read ONLINE

Editor – Joel Katz

Religion and State in Israel is not affiliated with any organization or movement.

---

BEIT SHEMESH ELECTIONS

Court orders new elections in Beit Shemesh, nullifies old results due to massive fraud

http://www.jpost.com/

In an unprecedented decision, the Jerusalem District Court on Thursday ordered new elections in Beit Shemesh and nullified the October election results due to massive and systematic fraud.

The bombshell decision is certain to set off a new round of conflict in a city mired by disputes between the supporters of pro-Haredi Mayor Moshe Abutbol and his challenger, representing a coalition of secular and religious Zionist residents, Eli Cohen.

---

RELIGION AND STATE

Religious freedom bill shot down in Knesset vote

http://www.timesofisrael.com/

VIDEO Past Successes and Future Challenges for Israel on issues of religion and state - Rabbi Uri Regv, Hiddush

---

AGUNOT/MARRIAGE

Evaluating Solutions for Agunot and Get Refusal

http://eng.beithillel.org.il/

---

BRIT MILAH/CIRCUMCISION

High Court freezes Rabbinical Court’s fine on woman who refuses to have son circumcised

http://www.jpost.com/

Mother determined not to circumcise son

http://www.ynetnews.com/

Op-ed: Brit milah decision - Opportunity for change

http://www.israelhayom.com/

Unfolding circumcision controversy makes the case for civil marriage and divorce in Israel

http://hiddush.org/

---

CONVERSION

Child conversion could become political hot potato

http://www.haaretz.com/

---

EDUCATION

Bayit Yehudi MK: Planned cuts to yeshiva budgets to be reduced

http://www.jpost.com/

---

EL-AL

El Al rabbi irks passengers: adds "Traveler's Prayer" to plane's sound system upon entry, take-off

http://www.ynetnews.com/

---

RABBINATE

Ministry of Religious Services considering firing Chief Rabbi of Rishon LeTzion

http://www.jpost.com/

Op-ed: When Judaism becomes coercive

http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/

---

RABBI MOTI ELON CASE

Druckman: No reason Elon should not teach in yeshiva

http://www.jpost.com/

Israeli parents turn to U.S. donors to stop sex offender rabbi from teaching

http://www.haaretz.com/

Editorial: The Elon Lesson

http://www.jpost.com/

The Saga of Rav Moti Elon – A Lenient Sentence Doesn’t Change Anything

http://eng.beithillel.org.il/

---

ALIYAH/ISRAEL-DIASPORA RELATIONS

Fleeing bad economy, French Jews flock to Israel

http://www.haaretz.com/

Adelson joins 900 Birthright participants in celebrating Israeli entrepreneurship

http://www.jpost.com/

Teach your children to make aliyah, MK Lipman urges

http://www.thejc.com/

---

HAREDI SOCIETY

A marker for the way forward

http://www.jpost.com/

A unique organization provides scholarship funds for haredim seeking higher education

Does your rabbi own an iPhone? If so, your wedding doesn’t count

http://www.haaretz.com/

---

IDF/HAREDI DRAFT

1,800 Haredim receive conscription deferrals in third round of cancellations

http://www.jpost.com/

Yeshiva students get reprieve from IDF draft for third time this year

http://www.haaretz.com/

Safed Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu combats girls' enlistment to IDF

http://www.ynetnews.com/

A priest’s battle: Christmas in the IDF

http://www.jpost.com/

---

GAY/LGBT COMMUNITY

Tax credits bill for gay male couples passes preliminary hearing

http://www.jpost.com/

Same-sex couples tax law passes Knesset reading

http://www.timesofisrael.com/

Knesset approves tax breaks for same-sex parents

http://www.haaretz.com/

---

MIKVEH

Getting Women to Mikveh, Snow or No

http://blogs.forward.com/sisterhood-blog/

---

REFORM MOVEMENT IN ISRAEL

Reform Movement, Seeking To Stem Decline, Eyes Religious Pluralism in Israel

http://forward.com/

---

CHRISTIANITY/CHRISTMAS

Edelstein to Christian MK: Knesset won't put up Christmas tree

http://www.jpost.com/

Knesset speaker: Christmas tree offends

http://www.ynetnews.com/

Knesset speaker nixes on-site Christmas tree

http://www.timesofisrael.com/

MK's request denied: No Christmas trees in Knesset

http://www.ynetnews.com/

No Christmas tree in Israeli parliament, speaker decides

http://www.haaretz.com/

Christian community in Israel continues to grow

http://www.jpost.com/

Christmas shopping taking off among Israeli Jews

http://www.haaretz.com/

AUDIO: What do you preach to a church full of Jews on Christmas?

http://www.pri.org/

---

RELIGION AND SOCIETY

Shall we dance? Rabbi-approved salsa

http://www.ynetnews.com/

Orthodox women rabbis? Never say never

http://www.thejc.com/

Letter to Editor: A much broader picture of Jewish pluralism

http://www.haaretz.com/

---

TEMPLE MOUNT

Analysis: How Rabbinate lost influence over holiest site

http://www.thejc.com/

---

Religion and State in Israel

December 26, 2013

Editor – Joel Katz

Religion and State in Israel is not affiliated with any organization or movement.

All rights reserved.

---> CLICK HERE for December 19, 2013 edition

Religion and State in Israel

December 19, 2013

If you are reading in email or RSS feed, please click here to read ONLINE

Editor – Joel Katz

Religion and State in Israel is not affiliated with any organization or movement.

---

REFORM MOVEMENT IN ISRAEL/RELIGIOUS PLURALISM

The Israeli Reformation: How non-Orthodox Judaism is taking root in Israel

Reform and Conservative Judaism has long been considered an “American” thing by Israelis. But according to a recent survey, more than 7 percent of the nation’s Jewish population – almost 430,000 Israelis – now identify with these non-Orthodox streams.

While still only single digits, it’s a big jump from 20 and even 10 years ago. Who are these Israelis? What is attracting them? In this special project, Haaretz explores the new face of religious Israel and discovers that it’s not necessarily Orthodox.

Five reasons non-Orthodoxy has been slow to take off in Israel

http://www.haaretz.com/

Why bother with non-Orthodox conversion in Israel?

http://www.haaretz.com/

Op-ed: Non-Orthodox Jews have yet to reach the Promised Land

http://www.haaretz.com/

Studying Torah for the hell of it

http://www.haaretz.com/

Many Israelis are getting closer to Judaism. They're just having trouble defining their brand of the religion

'Supporting' Israel is out, U.S. Jews turn to 'engaging'

http://www.haaretz.com/

Liberal Judaism in Israel gaining strength, Reform leader says

http://www.cjnews.com/

Op-ed: Prime Minister Netanyahu, “Audacious Hospitality” and Real Jewish Unity

http://ejewishphilanthropy.com/

Anat Hoffman’s Biennial Address: “More Than One Way to Be Jewish”

http://blogs.rj.org/

Women of the Wall chairwoman Anat Hoffman talks equality in Israel

http://www.jweekly.com/

Unusually silent Anat Hoffman accepts award for promoting religious pluralism

http://www.haaretz.com/

Between Pluralism and Secularism: An American Jewish Educator’s Journey into the World of Israeli Secular Torah Study

http://ejewishphilanthropy.com/

---

ISRAEL-DIASPORA RELATIONS

Op-ed: Israelis, stop treating U.S. Jews as rich uncles

http://www.haaretz.com/

By Ari Shavit

U.S. Reform movement partners with Hartman Institute

http://www.haaretz.com/

Israel reaches out to save US Jewish community

http://www.washingtonpost.com/

---

RELIGION AND THE SNOWSTORM

'Purity patrol car' drives women to mikvehs during snowstorm

http://www.ynetnews.com/

A Blanket of Snow Changes Jerusalem — Even Just for Shabbat

http://blogs.forward.com/

Snow in Jerusalem: Down to the wire for Sabbath-observers

http://www.haaretz.com/

2 Liberal Orthodox Rabbis Warring over Flipping Fuse on Stormy Shabbat

http://www.jewishpress.com/

Snowfall unites Jerusalemites of diverse faiths

http://www.jpost.com/

Rabbis: You can stop praying for rain now

http://www.timesofisrael.com/

---

CONVERSION

Ugandan convert to Judaism becomes test case for Law of Return

http://www.haaretz.com/

---

BRIT MILAH/CIRCUMCISION

Israeli woman appeals rabbinical ruling she must circumcise son

http://www.haaretz.com/

Jewish Mom Makes Case for Intactivism

http://www.salem-news.com/

---

MARRIAGE/DIVORCE

Israeli government establishes working group to discuss divorce reform

http://www.jpost.com/

Op-ed: For many potential agunot halachic prenups indeed break their chains

http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/

See also: JTA article

---

HAREDI SOCIETY

Studying Talmud in the morning, writing code in the afternoon

http://www.haaretz.com/

VIDEO: Orthodox Jews find love on Israeli reality TV show: Match Made in Heaven offers traditional dating

Op-ed: Is Charedi Daas Torah the Only Reality?

http://haemtza.blogspot.co.il/

Court: 'Starving mother' will not be jailed

http://www.ynetnews.com/

Journey to [Haredi] Sanhedria: The Jerusalem I never visit, especially at night

http://www.haaretz.com/

As cooks and hairdressers, sexually assaulted Haredi girls build new lives

http://www.haaretz.com/

Op-ed: Sex and halacha: a disturbing look at the sources

http://blogs.jpost.com/

Op-ed: On modesty and hypocrisy

http://www.ynetnews.com/

---

GAY/LGBT COMMUNITY

Israel nears law banning discrimination based on sexual orientation

http://www.haaretz.com/

---

IDF/HAREDI DRAFT

IDF increases probes into female draft dodgers claiming to be religious

http://www.haaretz.com/

"Let Religious Girls Have the Option of IDF Draft"

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/

Haredi Councils of Torah Sages: No-one has right to draft yeshiva students into the army

http://www.jpost.com/

Rabbis paint anti-enlistment battle as matter of 'life and death'

http://www.israelhayom.com/

Yeshiva heads hold emergency meeting - vow to oppose any compromise on drafting yeshiva students to IDF

http://www.ynetnews.com/

---

KOTEL/WESTERN WALL

Deal to 'physically reshape' Western Wall is near, says Reform president

http://www.haaretz.com/

Interesting Psak: Davening in the Azarat Yisrael

http://lifeinisrael.blogspot.co.il/

Netanyahu to Reform Jews: Western Wall belongs to all

http://www.timesofisrael.com/

(Snow) Woman of the Wall

http://blogs.forward.com/the-shmooze/

---

RELIGION AND SOCIETY

Op-ed: Strange bedfellows indeed - a strange alliance between Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid

http://www.israelhayom.com/

State, Abutbul, Cohen file final pleadings on Beit Shemesh election fraud

http://www.jpost.com/

Saying Mazal Tov in Sign Language

http://www.jewishpress.com/

Click here for VIDEO

---

RABBI MOTI ELON CASE

Noted rabbi gets community service for molesting minor

http://www.timesofisrael.com/

No jail time for leading Israeli rabbi convicted of sex offences

http://www.haaretz.com/

Rabbi Moti Elon won't serve prison time for sexual crime against minor, court rules

http://www.jpost.com/

No jail time for Rabbi Mordechai Elon

http://www.israelhayom.com/

Rabbi Moti Elon faces possible prison time as sentence for sexual crime against minor to be decided

http://www.jpost.com/

---

Religion and State in Israel

December 19, 2013

Editor – Joel Katz

Religion and State in Israel is not affiliated with any organization or movement.

All rights reserved.

--> CLICK HERE for December 12, 2013 edition