IMPJ Newsletter

Shalom to all of our dear friends in Israel
and around the world,

As we begin the month of Elul, the last one of 5772, we are pleased to renew our monthly updates of the Reform & Progressive movement in Israel. At the start of each Hebrew month we will share with you the achievements and challenges facing reform and progressive Jews in Israel, as well as our efforts to strengthen Israel as a pluralistic Jewish and democratic State.

Today, over a million Israeli Muslim citizens will be celebrating Eid el-Fitr – the holiday that ends the month-long Fast of Ramadan. At the same time, we begin our month of mercy and forgiveness, and with it, the many preparations prior to the New Year.

In exactly one month’s time, on the first days of the New Year, we will read the story of the birth of Isaac and his complicated relationship with his brother Ishmael. Scholars who have dealt with the inherent difficulties of this story, have posited that after the death of Sarah, Isaac went looking for Hagar in order to return her to his father, together with her son, Ishmael. The basis for this is written in the Torah where it describes how together Isaac and Ishmael buried Abraham – “the father of many nations”.

The converging of this year’s conclusion of Ramadan with the onset of the month of Elul is an opportunity to include the status of the relationship between the Jewish and Muslim populations in Israel in our public scrutiny efforts. The past few years have not brought with them the blessing of improving this relationship, as far too often the sources of both Judaism and Islam were used as weapons by those seeking to instill prejudice, inspire hatred and build walls between the two communities. Precisely for this reason there is an added value to our activities as a movement and our ability to speak out together in a single Jewish voice and to find within the partnership between Jews and Arabs. More importantly, we must translate that voice into deeds of understanding, shared learning and social action on behalf of tolerance within Israel’s society.

I would like to invite you to read the article I wrote on the place of the Arabic language in Israel’s public sphere. Furthermore, you are invited to learn about some of our activities taking place which focus on this important issue through Keren B’Kavod and other branches of the IMPJ. The promotion of interfaith dialogue in Israel is an important task of the reform and progressive movement and we wish to concentrate on it during the coming year, in the hope that, step by step, we will realize the blessing of our common ancestor: “and you will be a blessing … and all peoples of the earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12, 2-3)

As always, I welcome your reactions and ideas on our Facebook page.

Wishing you a blessed and good month,

Yours,

Rabbi Gilad Kariv

Keren B’Kavod – Devotion Prayer Charity
In time for both the start of Jewish month of Elul and the end of Ramadan with the holiday of Eid el-Fitr, Keren B’Kavod is working hard on several projects that promote coexistence through humanitarian aid and volunteering. Read about these projects here…

Volunteering for Coexistence
Long before Israel gained independence the city of Jaffa was a bustling port. Today it swarms with multi-national populations, whose tenuous coexistence is constantly on the brink of conflict. The ones who suffer most from this situation are the weaker populations – the children, the youth and the elderly. The participants in the IMPJ pre-army Mechina program in Jaffa volunteer in this unique mosaic in an attempt to assist its weaker populations.More about this program can be found here…

Rabbi Kariv’s op-ed article in Yediot Ahronot of August 2 - “Don’t talk to me in Arabic”
“In recent years, relations between the Jewish majority and the Arab minority in Israel have deteriorated significantly. … One reason … is the complete separation between the lives of the two language communities.” Read the full article here…

Reform Movement President to Makor Rishon: We’re Also Religious Zionists
During Rabbi Rick Jacob’s first official visit to Israel as the new President of the Union of Reform Judaism, he met with leading Israeli figures and policy makers, visited IMPJ programs, attended the Conference of Presidents, spoke with the press and much more. One of the interviews he gave was with the official Orthodox magazine of Israel, Makor Rishon. An English version of this article can be found here…

New Pluralistic Preschools for 2012-13 – Jerusalem and Holon
This coming school year, the IMPJ has secured the opening of more new preschools. After the success of last year’s preschools in Even Yehuda and the controversial neighborhood of Kiryat HaYovel in Jerusalem, this year four new classes will open – three in Jerusalem and the other one in Holon.Read more about these new pluralistic early childhood programs here…