More Than One Way to be Jewish
This week in Israel, in a historic decision helped by the work of the Reform Movement’s Israeli Religious Action Center, the first non-orthodox Rabbi is to be paid by the State of Israel under a ruling by the Israel Attorney General. Israeli Rabbi Miri Gold, who first heard the news on the radio said, “This is a big step for religious pluralism and democracy in Israel. Israeli Jews want religious alternatives and with this decision the State is starting to recognize this reality. There is more than one way to be Jewish even in Israel.”
This week in Israel, in a historic decision helped by the work of the Reform Movement’s Israeli Religious Action Center, the first non-orthodox Rabbi is to be paid by the State of Israel under a ruling by the Israel Attorney General. Israeli Rabbi Miri Gold, who first heard the news on the radio said, “This is a big step for religious pluralism and democracy in Israel. Israeli Jews want religious alternatives and with this decision the State is starting to recognize this reality. There is more than one way to be Jewish even in Israel.”
For less than a week Israel has begun enjoying advances in religious freedom for non-orthodox Jews, particularly Reform Jews. How fortunate we are to live in Flemington where there are myriad ways to be Jewish. We are blessed that our community supports many different paths toward fulfilling our diverse religious needs. It has not always been the case that Hunterdon – particularly the Jewish community here – has been so blessed. But for a quarter of a century now, Reform Judaism has had a home at Or Chadash, the Reform Temple of Hunterdon County, moving from living rooms, to churches and firehalls to our own building. Over the course of the upcoming year Or Chadash will be celebrating our 25th Anniversary.
Sometimes we take for granted the freedoms and choices that exist for us when we did not work to achieve them. Years of dedication went into the establishment of our Reform congregation, and each of us is privileged to be the beneficiaries of the work of those founders. This 25th Anniversary year will be filled with exciting programs and opportunities to gather and to learn and to celebrate and to perform wonderful acts of righteous living for our loved ones and those whom we may never meet and to ensure that Or Chadash will be here for many generations to come.
I look forward to seeing you over the coming months and sharing in the exciting celebration.
Shalom,
Rabbi Joe Forman