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help but notice me. He asked what was Avraham Melamed: Being a Reform
gogues. My congregation had to fight
up, I told him, and he took me into the
Jew in Israel means engaging in an ongo- for 15 years, including appearing before
officer’s office. By now the whole base ing struggle to persuade secular Israelis the Supreme Court, to gain the right to
had heard what was going on and
that there is more than one way to be
build a synagogue, while Orthodox syneveryone crammed round to see the
Jewish; that Orthodoxy is but one among agogues are built with public funds.
standoff.
other
Though 90% of our city’s residents are
The
legitimate
secular, the mayor dances with the
officer was
alternaChabad community in the main square
in his 20s,
tives; that
on Simchat Torah and has not accepted
Orthodox,
identiour invitations to visit. I am here in the
and of Iraqi
fying
Jewish homeland to fulfill a dream of our
Jewish
Judaism
people, but achieving it as a Reform Jew
descent. I
as Orthorequires overcoming many obstacles.
saw a pile
doxy in
of faxes on
Israel is
Paula Edelstein: When our older son
his desk
mistaken
married, our congregational rabbi was
sent in by
and harm- only able to officiate at the wedding ceremy supful; and
mony because a good friend, who is an
porters. He
that rejecOrthodox rabbi, agreed to perform a joint
asked me
ceremony. The state does not recognize
Kibbutz Yahel members dance in celebration at the annual tion of
to state my Shavuot first fruits ceremony, 2009.
the Ortho- the legitimacy of marriages performed by
case. He
dox way
non-Orthodox rabbis. As civil marriages
listened and then said, “I don’t undershould not mean a rejection of Judaism
performed in other countries are recogstand. What does it mean that you are a
altogether.
nized, 20% of Israeli couples marry
Reform rabbi?” I struggled to explain
what Reform Judaism is to an army
David Forman: Even many
career man who had only a high school
of the non-religious Israelis
education. I emphasized egalitarianism
who go to soccer games on
and the fact that my sister was the first
Shabbat still observe all the
woman ordained in Israel. Some of the
major holidays and go to
crowd started teasing him, saying he
shul once in a while. I like
should attend my sister’s congregation. It explaining to them that they
was not going well. Finally he blurted
are really Reform Jews.
out, “I don’t understand! What is the difference between you and my Orthodox
Stacey Blank: To be a
rabbi?” I answered, “Your rabbi
Reform Jew in Israel is to
wouldn’t have to get permission from his feel discriminated against,
commanding officer to officiate at your
an experience I was spared
wedding!” The room burst into applause, growing up in the U.S. The
and he stamped my pass to leave the
local municipality of Ramat
Cantor Evan Cohen (r.) greets his friend Roni Avraham,
base. I felt the rush of victory as he
HaSharon doesn’t list our
a vegetable merchant at the Machaneh Yehudah
handed it to me. Then he said, “You’re
congregation in the online
market in Jerusalem.
just like that cult in Waco, Texas, right?” directory of local syna-
Paula Edelstein, born in Duluth, Minnesota, made aliyah in 1972 with her husband and three-year-old son from Cincinnati, where they had been active in Temple Shalom. Formerly executive director of ARZENU, the International Federation
of Reform and Progressive Religious Zionists, as well as chairperson of the IMPJ, she is currently chairperson of the Israel
Religious Action Committee’s Steering Committee; a member of the HUC-JIR Board of Overseerers, Jerusalem campus; co-chair
of the Jewish Agency Aliyah and Absorption Committee; and a member of Har El Congregation in Jerusalem.
Rabbi David Forman, born in Boston, moved to Israel at age 28, one month after ordination from HUC-Cincinnati
in 1972. He is the former director of the Union’s NFTY office in Jerusalem; the founding chair of Rabbis for
Human Rights, on whose behalf he accepted the Knesset prize for “Peace and Tolerance”; and former chair of Interns
for Peace. Now a lecturer, author, and columnist for the Jerusalem Post, he is a member of Congregation Kol HaNeshema
in Jerusalem.
reform judaism
46
spring 2010