Petition on Religious Pluralism in Israel

  • Author:
    n/a
  • Send To:
    Her Excellency Miriam Ziv, Israeli Ambassador to Canada
  • Sponsored By:
    Canadian Reform Jewish Community
  • More Info at:
Are you the Author?
We, the undersigned members of the Canadian Reform Jewish Community, wish to bring to your attention our deep concerns about recent events in Israel regarding religious pluralism. We, who are proud to support Israel as our religious homeland, feel strongly that we have the responsibility to voice our concern when something touches the heart of our beliefs as Jews.

Recent events in Israel point to a continuing bias towards the rights and wishes of the ultra-Orthodox minority at the expense of the majority. Whether through government legislation or through decisions by courts or tribunals, it appears that Israeli democracy is being eroded.

The most recent cause of concern is the interrogation of Anat Hoffman, Executive Director of The Israel Religious Action Center by Jerusalem police. She was threatened with arrest for violating the rules of conduct at what many consider to be Judaisms most sacred site. This was a pure act of intimidation and comes on the heels of the arrest of Nofrat Frankel at the Kotel for wearing a tallit and for holding a Sefer Torah. These actions are repugnant to many of us who believe Israel must be a religious pluralistic society.

These events are the continuation of a trend favoring ultra-Orthodoxy over other streams of Judaism, exemplified in incidents regarding the validity of conversions, rights of marriage and burial, segregated buses and other public spaces, and the use of parking garages on Shabbat. These issues constitute a growing religious crisis in Israel, which is as much a threat to Israels survival as are the external threats and perhaps more so. Protecting Israel from religious extremism may be the nations biggest challenge.

We urge you to convey to the Israeli government the need for equality for all streams of Judaism. There must be an end to laws and practices that legitimize abuse and discrimination against Jews who desire to express their Judaism or just want to live their lives in a manner contrary to the ultra-Orthodox minority.

548 Signatures

  • Elliot Goldenberg
  • Les Rothschild
  • Jeff Denaburg
    • Comments
    • Strengthen religious pluralism in Israel
  • R Naomi Livingston
    • Comments
    • This issue should have been resolved decades ago.
  • Miriam Pearlman
    • Comments
    • Your response is appreciated.
  • Glenn Cohen
    • Comments
    • Member,Board of Directors, Temple Sinai congregation of Toronto
  • Bruce Barak Koffler
    • Comments
    • I believe that this is an extremely important issue that is essential for the survival of Israeli society.
  • Valerie Whitefield
  • Rhonda Singer
  • Bernard & Beverley Blackstien
    • Comments
    • The Israel government must be guided by democratic principles and not for reasons of political expediancy .The fact that it is following the latter course is leading to profound and dangerous interrnal division.
  • Harvey Adelman
  • Elizabeth Jameson
    • Comments
    • Social Action Chair, Temple B'nai Tikvah, Calgary
  • Rabbi Jordan Cohen
  • Susan Freedman
    • Comments
    • I highly agree with the information
  • Judy Weissenberg Cohen
    • Comments
    • My silence on this issue would mean acquiescence to injustice.
  • Anne Sloman (Dodi Miller)
    • Comments
    • The women of Israel serve with the men of Israel in the military.Therefore they deserve and should receive equal treatment to be allowed to worship, how, where,and when they wish to.
  • Meryle Kates
    • Comments
    • В
  • Alfred Rudin
    • Comments
    • В
  • cathie wexler
  • linda gold
  • Paul Friedman
  • Gabriela Ramo
    • Comments
    • it is time that Reform Jews outside of Israel take serious note of the erosion of the rights of non-orthodox Jews We ignore this issue at our peril We encourage reform jews to provide financial support solely to reform organizations in Israel to ensure that our funds support the cause of reform judaism and not end up in the hands of those jews with extremist views who seek to destroy liberal judaism and its focus on equality
  • Lawrenc Dworkin
    • Comments
    • As a secular Jew, who strongly supports the State of Isreal, I find the treatment of those who want to see Isreal a more open and compasionate society immoral and backwards. Rather than a society that seeks justice, it is a move to the dark ages, where society denegrates not only women, but those seeking equality among all Jews. this latest behavior by Israeli authorities only pits one Jew against another. while the orthodoxy may be entrenched in their beliefs, there is no reason for the State to be blinded by the same lack of openess. There are already too many isms in this world denying human rights. Israel should not be a party to this.
  • Cheryl B. Englander
  • Victor Moncarz
  • Paula Baruch
  • Paul Leszner
  • Elaine Hashman
  • Jerry Hashman
  • Dorothy Millman
  • Ian Pont
  • Jeffrey Michael Singer
  • Stacey Cline
  • Robert McCready
    • Comments
    • Holy Blossom Temple, Toronto, Ontario
  • Sqn Ldr Jack Cahan, CD, Ret'd
  • Kenneth Coblin
  • gerald prenick
    • Comments
    • THIS SMALL MINORITY SHOULD NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO DECIDE IF I AM A JEW.
  • Karen Fisman
  • Pnina Margolese
  • Barbara Organ
  • Brigitte Waisberg
    • Comments
    • I am appalled by some of the actions which the Haredi community have been allowed to undertake. If Israel is to remain a country where all Jews are welcome, then one group cannot exert the control that the Haredi have been allowed to weild. Having women sit at the back of the bus is no different than the segregation that the whole world condemned in the United States. It is fundamentally wrong, and it should never have been condoned.
  • Joan Stuchner
    • Comments
    • I respect all Orthodox Jewish groups and their way of life. I ask that they respect mine.
  • Howard Stuart
  • Judith Ross
    • Comments
    • To me, the Wall means nothing until all Jews, male or female can go it, as I did in 1973 before it became the trust of the Ultra Orthodox who are doing more to destroy Judaism than keep our people together.
  • Carole Sterling
  • shereen sarick
  • Judith Kronick
  • Judy Smith
  • Brenda Barbarash
    • Comments
    • Every Jew, male or female in Israel should have the same rights & privileges.
  • Anthony Macfarlane
    • Comments
    • I plead with you to encourage your government to desist from dehumanizing those of us (Jews) who did not have the privilage of an early exposure to Judaism. We have arrived at our present stage by many means., In my case from a background of conversos in the island of Jamaica where we have existed since the 15th century.