Reform Synagogue Vandalized In Israel

A large reform synagogue in Ra'anana, a bedroom suburb of Tel aviv, was covered with anti-Reform graffiti overnight by unknown assailants, Israel Police announced today.

Kehilat Ra'anan (Israel Police)

Reform Synagogue Vandalized In Israel
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com

A large reform synagogue in Ra'anana, a bedroom suburb of Tel aviv, was covered with anti-Reform graffiti overnight by unknown assailants, Israel Police announced today.

The graffiti on Kehilat Ra'anan synagogue cites Maimonides’ rulings on non-believers.

Kehilat Ra'anan has reportedly been vandalized many times, the Jerusalem Post reported. In one notorious attack, in April 2011 assailants broke six windows and “spray-painted a Star of David and the words ‘it has begun’ on an exterior wall.”

This morning in a statement the head of the Reform Movement in Israel said the latest attack will not stop them from practicing liberal Judaism.

“This Price Tag incident will not deter us from serving the public of thousands of families in Ra'anana that are interested in Judaism that is tolerant and practices equality,” Rabbi Gilad Kariv said.

In that statement, the synagogue’s rabbi asked the Reform Movement to “awake from its slumber.”

“Its hard to grasp the depth of the trauma caused by the sight of the graffiti on the walls of the Kehilat Raanan building. I call on the Israeli community to awake from its slumber and take steps to bring an educational and social revolution that will allow all of us a meaningful Jewish way of life based on the greater worldview shown in the Torah,” Kehilat Raanan rabbi, Tamar Kolberg, said.

Police are reportedly investigating last night’s the incident.

Comments

[jewishdude]

No different than the Taliban types who terrorize moderate Muslims. A religious fanatic is a religious fanatic, and the religious Jewish fanatics are no exception. There is a special place in hell for these people. And G-d does not write you into the Book of Life, no matter how much you pray and ask for forgiveness.

[JekyllJacobson]

I will not go as far as saying that the reform movement has no spirituality. However it does what it believes based on gut feeling and emotion. 'Thas lityle to do with the Torah...

[JekyllJacobson]

I will not go as far as saying that the reform movement has no spirituality. However it does what it believes based on gut feeling and emotion. 'Thas little to do with the Torah though.
BTW I'm OK with that but stop masquerading as Torah followers.

[TheKvetcher]

I would note that like many fanatics, JekyllJacobson has used this opportunity to trash, not sympathize, with the victim of fundamentalist oppression and destruction.

[S M L]

"...I will not go as far as saying that the reform movement has no spirituality. However it does what it believes based on gut feeling and emotion. 'Thas little to do with the Torah though. BTW I'm OK with that but stop masquerading as Torah followers..."

I'll take the generally positive emotional tone and the genuine sense of community and interest in tikkun olam that I find when I attend services at my daughter's Reform shul over anything I experienced growing up in a Conservative environment 50 years ago and certainly over the sheer lunacy, fanaticism, hair-splitting, intolerance, misogyny, pederasty and arrogance that appears to characterize Haredi and Hasidic practice.

[Yochanan Lavie]

This should not an opportunity to debate the Pros and Cons of Reform Judaism. This is all about vandalism, hatred, and intimidation. Whether or not one likes Reform, any sane person would call this unacceptable.

[JekyllJacobson]

YL
Unacceptable

[JekyllJacobson]

Kvetcher
I merely responded to this paragraph:

“Its hard to grasp the depth of the trauma caused by the sight of the graffiti on the walls of the Kehilat Raanan building. I call on the Israeli community to awake from its slumber and take steps to bring an educational and social revolution that will allow all of us a meaningful Jewish way of life based on the greater worldview shown in the Torah,” Kehilat Raanan rabbi, Tamar Kolberg, said.

[ah-pee-chorus]

the terrorists have been emboldened by the kid glove treatment they've received.

[TheKvetcher]

This isn't being reported in the Orthodox press. Must be a really busy news day and they just haven't gotten to it yet.

[rebitzman - $101 to read my posts]

"Police are reportedly investigating last night’s the incident."

I doubt it.

@JekyllJacobson

In that you would be extremely hard pressed to find an example of a Reform Jew doing this to a haredi synagogue - or anything similar, it would seem that as a whole their grasp of APPLIED Torah is higher and better developed than yours will ever be.

Talk is cheap - anyone can buy a black hat, but behavior defines..........

[S M L]

@rebitzman:

Exactly so.

[Yochanan Lavie]

JJ: I take it to mean you agree it's unacceptable. Good on you!

[JekyllJacobson]

YL
Correct

[JekyllJacobson]

Rebitzman-- Behavior defines. Absolutely!

[Steven W]

Yeshivava World News found the story:

Police are investigating a graffiti attack against a Ra’anana ‘house of worship’ in which the vandal left references to quotes in both Tehillim and the Rambam, referring to Halachos that kofrim do not have a share in Olam Haba.

There are no reports of arrests in the case.

http://bit.ly/1a4EHWb

I wonder if there are 'Torahs' or 'siddurim' there. Or 'Jews'.

So far, no comments.

[Office of the Chief Rabbi]

The Reformics will undoubtedly use this as a fund raising opportunity. How convenient that it comes just prior to the gyno-Judaic festivities tomorrow morning.

[Friar Yid]

"However it does what it believes based on gut feeling and emotion."

Unlike anything in Orthodox Judaism (or any other religion,) of course.

If you'll excuse me, I have to go swing a chicken over my head to atone for my sins and scrounge off my rebbe's holy gefilte-fish leftovers so I can get extra holiness points. If I'm really lucky I can get kicked out of my yeshiva for daring to have a non-kosher phone, reading the wrong books, wearing the wrong color shirt/yarmulke, or thinking the earth is too old. Hang on, has anyone seen my magic gadol amulet? I got it while praying at some tzadik's grave for good luck in business, a good match for my kids, my neighbor who's having trouble conceiving, and for me to win the lottery. If I've lost it someone in my family will probably suffer some tragic accident-- unless, of course, it turns out a letter has rubbed off my tefillin or mezuzot, because apparently that can do it too.

Hey, it's time for the weekly protest! Should I opt for burning garbage-cans over people building a highway or spitting on some little girls for walking on my pious street with their enticing exposed shins? Decisions, decisions...

Yes, JJ, I sure am thankful for all the empiricist rationalism in authentic Torah-true Orthodox Judaism. Rambam would be so proud.

[Jeff]

One of the comments beneath the article at YWN:

"You know who else doesn’t have a share in Olam Habah
A Mechallel es Hashem"

That's always the bottom line with these people - the threat of postmortem consequences. It makes me sick.

And Jekyll, I saw your comment there as well:

"Why don’t we just leave them alone. Their demise is imminent… "

It's the same refrain from you people, repeated like a mantra, generation after generation: "You'll assimilate out of existence! Your grandchildren won't be Jewish!" Meanwhile, it's been two hundred years since the Haskalah, and both sides are still here - but your world is collapsing. It can no longer support its irresponsibly growing numbers, and is succumbing to pressure from without and deteriorating from within. Moreover, you can't stop the effect the Internet is having in giving people access to previously unavailable information concerning the outside world. It isn't even merely my opinion; I've been told by people close to your world that many of your leaders now realize it.

So you just keep telling us about the increasing numbers of attendees at kollels and yeshivot, while it all just fades away.

[Jeff]

>> Posted by: Friar Yid | January 30, 2014 at 10:22 PM

Excellent, THANK you.

[Qal Moav]

Reform Judaism is notorious for four things:
A. Low Birthrates
B. High Defection/Intermarriage Rates
C. Dubious Conversions
D. Patrilineal Descent

My dad is Orthodox, and he literally sees them as "the door out, and the door in". That's not very flattering, now is it?

Maybe the Reformists need to take a page out of the Palestinian/Haredi page and start popping out more children, after all victory can still come through the womb. A touch of militancy would help too. They need to start carrying out tag mechir themselves!