Israel's Chief Rabbinate Must Be Removed From Power

"We are here [in Israel], secular and religious Jews alike, because our grandparents in Yemen, Germany, Morocco, Poland, Iraq and France recited the prayer: "May our eyes behold your return to Zion." Without Jewish tradition to justify our complex presence here, we would be in serious trouble. This is the role of the Chief Rabbinate: Not to bring Jews "back to religion" (hazara betshuva), but to bring back the love for Jewish tradition, which unites us all, despite the vast differences between us."

Current chief rabbis of Israel Shlomo Amar, left, and Yona Metzger, right

Revolutionize the rabbinate
Op-ed: Tzohar rabbi says Chief Rabbinate failed in its duty to bring secular, religious Jews closer together
Rafi Feuerstein • Ynet   

Changing, if not a revolutionizing [of] Israel's [haredi-controlled] Chief Rabbinate is vital to State security, from a strategic standpoint. The Chief Rabbinate is supposed to be in charge creating a common Jewish sphere that will serve as a 'gathering point' for secular, haredi, traditional and religious Jews.
 
The neglect of this 'gathering point' over the past few years has contributed to the division of Israeli society into tribes. Each one of these tribes creates its own 'gathering point.' It is hostile to the other tribes and does not speak their cultural-ideological language anymore. A society whose members have to serve in the same tank crew cannot allow itself to disintegrate from the inside.

A revolution in the Chief Rabbinate is required, particularly due to the fact that Israel faces numerous threats after the vision of an "Arab Spring" and a "new Middle East" has been shattered.
 
We, and particularly our children, are in need of motivation to continue supporting the army and the State and continue building the Zionist vision out of identity and love.
 
We are here, secular and religious Jews alike, because our grandparents in Yemen, Germany, Morocco, Poland, Iraq and France recited the prayer: "May our eyes behold your return to Zion." Without Jewish tradition to justify our complex presence here, we would be in serious trouble.
 
This is the role of the Chief Rabbinate: Not to bring Jews "back to religion" (hazara betshuva), but to bring back the love for Jewish tradition, which unites us all, despite the vast differences between us.
 
And what do we get instead? Rabbinical courts which the public shies away from; religious councils that repulse secular couples with their rude treatment; converts (including many IDF soldiers) who are repeatedly rejected by many religious courts and councils; and young secular women who encounter patronizing behavior and alienation during their first and only visit to the mikveh (before they get married) instead of being greeted with flowers and candy. Often times we hear rabbis make irrelevant comments because they are so out of touch with the Israeli discourse.
 
This institution must be revolutionized. It must be made relevant again without taking away from its commitment to the halacha. The Chief Rabbinate must serve as the central bridge between Judaism and the Israeli experience, instead of being another source of alienation and disgust.
 
The 'Tzohar' rabbis are calling for a revolution in the State of Israel's religious services sector within the next five years. It is possible, but we must demand it and never let up.
 
Rabbi Rafi Feuerstein is a member of the board of the 'Tzohar' organization.

Comments

[netflix]

Fire all the rabbis

[GreatDivide]

Israel's Chief Rabbinate Must Be Removed From Power

I don't think this will necessarily bring the orthodox and seculars any closer together.

[Rocky]

Is Israel headed for a civil war in a generation or just massive emigration of its most talented citizens?

[NoContest]

Is Israel headed for a civil war in a generation or just massive emigration of its most talented citizens?

Posted by: Rocky | September 08, 2012 at 10:28 PM

I don't think there can be a civil war as long as the Haredim are kept out of the military. One can go just so far with rocks, flaming trash bins, spitting and dirty diapers. On top of that they are anemic and flabby. Not much of a fighting force.

[westernjew]

There should not be a cheif rabbi anywhere except in the yeshiva. We are not a people of a national cause in terms of the prosperity of our people being divided upon the earth. We are a people of the heavens. It is a foolish concept to promote one man as the uber head jew and I disagree we should be putting our faith in the hands of one advisor over another. Let honor and esteem dictate who we trust. Not appointment.

[ZG]

http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/venice-film-critics-wowed-by-ultra-orthodox-jewish-director-s-debut.premium-1.462807

http://www.jpost.com/ArtsAndCulture/Entertainment/Article.aspx?id=284365

[Yosef ben Matitya]

trouble is, tzohar isn't any better.
their point is for the disfunctional chief rabbis to vacate the positions so that them, tzohar can take over.
tzohar message is that: we are moderate, we are modern. which is fine.
but they are irreverent, arrogant often uneducated in torah. politically they are part of the DL savages. judaism needs 'apolitical' rabbis or short of that 'am shalem'.

[Atheodox Jew]

to bring back the love for Jewish tradition, which unites us all, despite the vast differences between us

This is the right direction. Halavai!

[Garnel Ironheart]

Simple solution: make any rav who wants to work for the Rabbanut recite the prayer for the State of Israel daily and instruct all his followers to do likewise, to hang an Israeli flag in his shul and to say Hallel on Yom Ha'atzma'ut. That'll drive the chareidim out of there in no time.

[God is not amused]

In NYS Kiryas Joel has been built up in a short 30+ years and it is amazing. In the latest national poll Kiryas Joels came in #1as the nations poorest with 70% on welfare. Scrutiny shows otherwise. Many are business owners. Many are land owners. Many are landlords. When you think of poorest in the nation you think of a town like Detroit right? wrong. KJ is more like one of the five towns. NO OUTSIDERS ALLOWED. That includes you ms/mr secular Jew. They have built a government within a government!!! and that is my point. ALL AT OTHERS EXPENSE.
For a quick study of the Haredi proliferation and its effects go no further than Kiryas Joel. It is a microcosm of what could be, the future of Israel, if the Ultra/Orthodox continue to be given free reign. Kiryas Joel was built on massive fraud, chicanery and it is a spiritual house of cards, that when it falls it will fall hard. Monsey/Kiryas Joel in NYS = Intense hate for Jews(them). Which is why WE must stop this culture of "Rabbi" dictated communities. They cannot be allowed to represent Judaism, because at the core it is not.
The Haredi are a "political body" disguised as "spiritual mentors." ( This political body is a mirror image of the Roman Catholic Church.Read the history of the RCC exact same modus operandi. )

[jancsibacsi]

God is not amused----The Haredi are a "political body" disguised as "spiritual mentors." ( This political body is a mirror image of the Roman Catholic Church.Read the history of the RCC exact same modus operandi. )
That is brillianT its exactly what you describe it is nothing but a political body disguised as spiritual mentor just like the catholic church.

[Jeff]

Posted by: God is not amused | September 09, 2012 at 01:12 PM

When an African-American woman has multiple children while on welfare, the Republicans lose their shit, but when an Orthodox Jew does it - not one word.

[Jeff]

Simple solution: make any rav who wants to work for the Rabbanut recite the prayer for the State of Israel daily and instruct all his followers to do likewise, to hang an Israeli flag in his shul and to say Hallel on Yom Ha'atzma'ut. That'll drive the chareidim out of there in no time.

You know, Garnel, there are Modern Orthodox shuls here in the states in which the prayer isn't said. I can only assume they're afraid of offending any black hats who may be in attendance.

Well, as I keep saying - there is no more Modern Orthodoxy, anyway.

[Realist Jew]

@Jeff

You are right, but Mitt or Barack will clear that crap up with welfare reform soon. So it sucks to be Black and Jewish for those on welfare.

[Jeff]

You are right, but Mitt or Barack will clear that crap up with welfare reform soon. So it sucks to be Black and Jewish for those on welfare.

Guarantee you they won't touch the Jews. You can pretty much take that to the bank.

[Office of the Chief Rabbi]

All of us on the worldwide listserv for Chief Rabbis are shocked, shocked that we haven't been living up to this guy's expectations. "Common Jewish sphere?" Sounds like he's been hanging out with Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and his Renewal crowd.

[Realist Jew]

Guarantee you they won't touch the Jews. You can pretty much take that to the bank.

I would not be to sure of that if I was you. But, my gut tells me Obama or Romney would touch the Jews. Just a gut feeling.

[Korbendallas72]

Guarantee you they won't touch the Jews. You can pretty much take that to the bank.

Posted by: Jeff | September 09, 2012 at 04:16 PM

No self-hatred in this statement, no sir.

[Jeff]

No self-hatred in this statement, no sir.

Posted by: Korbendallas72 | September 10, 2012 at 08:09 AM

You're a fucking idiot troll with a demonstrable mental illness and nothing of value to say. Do us all a favor - take Lubavitchers are Christians, go to Israel and walk together hand-in-hand into the Mediterranean.

[Korbendallas72]

I've been working with leftists for a very long time, Jeff. I'll piss you off more than any Haredi on this board. Yes, the rabbinic establishment has reached the end of its era but even this is not unprecedented. Out with the old, etc.

I don't get riled by leftists, Jeff. You all think the same and quickly get very nasty when your opponents are proven right.

[Jeff]

Self-important little piece of drek.

[Korbendallas72]

Kisses.

[ghj]

A little reality that most, observant or secular, do not want to hear:

We are in the "footsteps of the messiah" -- the time period at the end of the exile and before the redemption.

A major problem is that the charedi rabbis do not accept the legitimacy of the existence of the State of Israel.

The second major problem is that rabbis have turned into money-grubbing politicians, who could care less about any type of Jew, just money and power.

This is what those of us who believe have to pray for next week.

[Jeff]

We are in the "footsteps of the messiah" -- the time period at the end of the exile and before the redemption.

Yeah, I've seen the kind of people who are going to be "redeemed".

Do me a favor - leave me out.

[Friar Yid]

The best reporting I've seen on this issue has been in Haaretz.

In brief, there are 3 models being proposed for overhauling the Chief Rabbinate:

- Tzohar wants to reform it from the inside (by electing as many Tzohar-affiliated rabbis as possible) and liberalize/standardize various individual procedures such as conversion, divorce and batei din and dayanim.

- The Israeli Reform movement wants to separate the rabbinate from the state and also to create legislation guaranteeing that each recognized "stream" of Judaism gets funding and legal authority for its rabbis, shuls and services (weddings, conversions, etc).

- Ne'emanei Torah Va'Avodah, another Orthodox organization, wants to abolish the rabbinate entirely (or keep it on as a purely symbolic office) and offer services to individual Israelis who register with specific religious communities. Those communities would get funding and authority based on their size.

[Warren]

"That we should wish to cast him down and have no one in his place is not a thought that occurs to his mind." - The Two Towers.