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22-726: The Israel Religious Action Center (Hebrew: המרכז הרפורמי לדת ומדינה) also known as IRAC , was established in 1987 as the public and legal advocacy arm of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism . It is located in Jerusalem , Israel . IRAC aims to defend equality , social justice , and religious pluralism within Israel, through the Israeli legal system, lobbying and publications. Author Elana Maryles Sztokman calls IRAC "the preeminent civil and human rights organization in Israel," advocating for

44-465: A broadly inclusive democracy and promoting social justice. Recent campaigns include an effort to ban gender segregation on Israeli public buses, a successful public campaign for the abolition of income guarantees to kollel students, and a lobbying campaign in defense of human rights organizations operating in Israel. As of May 2024 the executive director is civil rights attorney Orly Erez-Likhovski, who has served with IRAC since 2004. Anat Hoffman ,

66-604: Is "a disaster for the nation of Israel". Women of the Wall then voiced a protest: "We expect Ayelet Shaked, like her predecessor, to announce unequivocally that as a woman and a justice minister, she will not sign discriminatory regulations, and will not be a part of exclusion of women from the Western Wall or from any other place. The court has already ruled that these regulations are discriminatory and illegal." Azulai's comments were also condemned by Rabbi Gilad Kariv , executive director of

88-651: Is affiliated with the World Union for Progressive Judaism. In 2012, The Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism officially changed its name to the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism. Reuven Marko serves as the chairman of the IMPJ, and Gilad Kariv serves as the executive director. In June and July 2015, the Reform movement in Israel came under attack by the new minister of religious affairs, David Azulai . The context

110-789: The Reform Movement youth organization, a part of Netzer Olami ; the Youth Adult and Students Forum for 20- to 30-year-olds; as well as four Batei Midrash (Jewish study centers). The first Reform kibbutz , Yahel , was founded in 1976 in Arabah , and Lotan was founded in 1983. Har Halutz was established in Galilee in 1985. The movement has not attracted a significant following among religious Jews in Israel. Researchers attribute this to several factors: The IMPJ participates in various initiatives for social justice , such as Rabbis for Human Rights , and it

132-482: The Reform movement in Israel, who noted, "If Minister Azoulay cannot function as minister for all the citizens of Israel, then he should resign." A month later, in July 2015, Azulai stated: The moment a Reform Jew stops following the religion of Israel... I cannot allow myself to call such a person a Jew." On 30 October 2018, Azulai died after a long-term battle with cancer. The illness had also forced him to resign from

154-536: The Reform movement in the U.S. (the largest Jewish religious organization there) decided to shun him. Kariv called on his American partners to refuse access to Levin. Rabbi Richard Jacobs , President of the American Union for Reform Judaism , agreed to cancel all meetings between Levin and Reform leaders. Jacobs told Israeli Army Radio : "There’s no reason to give him a platform in Jewish communities and organizations in

176-527: The United States. Minister Levin will not teach us what support for Israel is.” The Central Conference of American Rabbis , the North American Reform rabbinical organization, protested Levin's comments, saying "Minister Levin is entitled to his private beliefs. However, as a minister in the government of all Israel, he has an obligation to support the religious practice of all Israelis. His remarks on

198-404: The center of all Reform rabbis in Israel. MARAM had edited prayer books for Shabbat and high holidays, and other publications on Jewish law, prayer, and holidays. MARAM deals with a variety of Jewish topics, and runs a Convectional program and court. As of 2017 Rabbi Professor Yehoyada Amir serves as the head of MARAM. The Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) was founded in 1987, and serves as

220-531: The citizens of Israel, then he should resign." In 2016, Likud MK Yariv Levin criticized efforts to accommodate multi-denominational Judaism in Israel. At a government hearing on non-Orthodox prayer space at the Western Wall, Levin slammed Reform Judaism, saying egalitarian prayer space at the Wall is unnecessary based on his opinion that Reform Jews will "be all but gone in three generations". Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Levin's remarks and

242-740: The earliest Reform rabbis to settle in what would become Israel included Judah Leon Magnes , who was the first chancellor of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and in 1938 became its president. Meir Elk , who graduated from the liberal Breslau Rabbinical Seminary in Germany (in what is now Wrocław , Poland), founded the Leo Baeck School in Haifa . The first Reform congregation in Israel, Congregation Har'el, opened in Jerusalem in 1958. A conference open to

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264-653: The executive director of IRAC for over 20 years until November, 2022, is also the director and a founding member of Neshot HaKotel , also known as " Women of the Wall " or WoW, an organization of women who pray at the Western Wall in an egalitarian manner. Rabbi Noa Sattath, a leader in gay rights and in Jewish-Palestinian relations, also served in IRAC leadership. The Israel Religious Action Center describes its work as: Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism Some of

286-532: The municipality's committees. In 1993, he was elected to Nahal Iron Regional Council, serving as deputy mayor of the council and later as its mayor. He resigned following his election to the Knesset in 1996. He served as Chairman of the Internal Affairs and Environment Committee (2000–2001) and as Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs (2001–2003). In the latter post, he was assigned to head of commission regarding

308-628: The people they convert are therefore not Jews. Rubinstein noted: "Once it established public mikvahs and put them at the service of the public – including for the process of conversion – the State cannot but be evenhanded in allowing their use .... The State of Israel is free to supervise the use of its mikvahs, so long as it does so in an egalitarian manner." The headquarters of the IMPJ are located in The Shimshon Center-Beit Shmuel in Jerusalem. MARAM – Council of Progressive Rabbis serves as

330-711: The public and legal advocacy arm of the Reform movement in Israel. It focuses on issues of religion and state, including state recognition of Reform Rabbis and Reform conversions. Anat Hoffman serves as the executive director of IRAC. The IMPJ Mechina Project is a post-secondary , pre-military year of study and preparation toward compulsory IDF service. Participants in Mechina study Jewish heritage and Israeli identity, and work in community service projects. The IMPJ Mechina takes place in Jaffa . David Azulai David Azulai ( Hebrew : דוד אזולאי ‎ ; 5 May 1954 – 30 October 2018)

352-449: The public who wished to see a Jewish alternative to the Orthodox movement took place in 1965. This strengthened the relationship between the six existing congregations, and served as the cornerstone for the establishment of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism (IMPJ). The IMPJ officially became an organization in Israel in 1971. The Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion ,

374-534: The rabbinical college of Reform Judaism, began its Rabbinical Studies program in Israel in 1974, and in 1980, the first Reform rabbi was ordained by the HUC. The headquarters of the World Union for Progressive Judaism moved to Jerusalem in 1973. As of 2012 there are 40 communities and congregations affiliated with Reform Judaism in Israel. The IMPJ runs about 40 kindergartens; school-run educational programming; Noar Telem,

396-654: The state on behalf of the Reform and Conservative/Masorti movements to allow members to use publicly-funded mikvot. The case, which took ten years to resolve, resulted in the Israeli supreme court ruling that public ritual baths must accept all prospective converts to Judaism, including converts to Reform and Conservative Judaism. In his 2016 ruling, Supreme Court Justice Elyakim Rubinstein said barring certain converts amounts to discrimination. Until this ruling, Orthodox officials barred non-Orthodox converts from using any mikveh, claiming their traditions do not conform to Jewish law and

418-699: The status of the Falasha . Following the 2015 elections , he was appointed Minister of Religious Services in the new government . He gave up his Knesset seat in March 2018 under the Norwegian Law due to an illness, and was replaced by his son Yinon . In a meeting with MK Ayelet Shaked about Women of the Wall , an Israeli group fighting for the right of Jewish women to pray at the Kotel in their fashion, Azulai referred to them as "provocateurs", and claimed that Reform Judaism

440-499: The supposed waning presence of U.S. Reform Jews reveal a bias against a religious movement that includes over a million and a half people." Informed of Netanyahu's criticism of his comments, Levin refused to backtrack. His office announced: "The tourism minister stands by what he said, and he would likely say it again." An Israeli court ruling in 2016 prohibited discrimination against Reform Jews in using publicly funded mikvot . The Reform movement's Israel Religious Action Center sued

462-567: Was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Shas for over 20 years from 1996 and 2018. He was also Minister of Religious Services from 2015 until his death in 2018. David Azulai was born in Meknes in Morocco , and immigrated to Israel in 1963. From 1973 to 1993, he worked as a teacher and vice principal. From 1978 to 1993, he was a member of Acre's local council and served in

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484-510: Was the Women of the Wall , an Israeli group fighting for the right of Jewish women to pray at the Kotel (Western Wall) in a fashion incompatible with Orthodox religious norms. In a meeting with MK Ayelet Shaked about that group, Azulai referred to them as "provocateurs" and claimed that Reform Judaism is "a disaster for the nation of Israel". Azulai's comments were condemned by Kariv, who noted, "If Minister Azoulay cannot function as minister for all

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