Supporting Our Israeli Reform Movement Partners

Earlier this month, I had the privilege of traveling to Israel to represent Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) with WRJ CEO Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch. While it is a difficult time to be in the country, it was an opportunity to visit with several of WRJ’s Israeli Reform Movement partners and grantees, including the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism (IMPJ), the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), Hebrew Union College (HUC), the World Movement for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ), and the Women of the Wall (WOW). We were welcomed with open arms and with so much appreciation for our WRJ support.

During our visits, over the course of four days and many kilometers of driving, we had the opportunity to experience the extremes within the Reform Movement in Israel. We visited a 60-year-old Reform congregation in far-north Nahariya, Kehillat Emet v’eShalom, and heard about their challenges finding spaces to meet for Shabbat and holidays. We also met with the youngest Reform rabbi in Israel, Rabbi Miriam Klimova, a Ukrainian rabbi who leads a store-front congregation in Haifa and serves a community of mostly Russian Jews. We heard about the difficulties in supporting members who do not speak Hebrew fluently, are not well assimilated into Israeli society and often cannot pay for membership.

We spent Shabbat at two Reform congregations with strong memberships and beautiful buildings: Kehilat Ra’anan - Beit Samueli in Ra’anana and Kol Haneshama in Jerusalem. We also participated in a “congregation of the street” on Shabbat morning after services as part of a weekly gathering organized by women, dressed dramatically in white, who led us with words and songs of peace.

At the end of Shabbat, we celebrated a moving Havdalah ritual at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv led by Rabbi Hirsch and several Reform Israeli rabbis. Although three hostages had just been released the day before, our hearts were heavy as we considered the many who remain in captivity. Havdalah was followed by the powerful, weekly demonstration in the same locale where grief-ridden hostage families and others demanded the release of those who are still in captivity.

Our partners in Israel face so many challenges at the moment, including very limited support from the Israeli government; a lack of wide-spread understanding of religious freedom, gender equality, and inclusivity; the difficulties of providing spiritual care during the current political situation; the stress of not knowing from one day to the next who will be called up to fight; and when they may need to seek shelter from rockets. We heard about a recent IRAC survey which shows that only about 6% of Israeli Jews define themselves as Reform, although approximately one-third of the Jewish population in Israel indicates that they support or strongly support Reform Judaism. So, despite it all, there is some hope.

Our Reform Movement partners in Israel are fighting tirelessly for the rights of Progressive Jews and democratic values–the values that we, as Women of Reform Judaism, hold dear. They inspire us to continue doing our important work on issues that matter. To support the Reform Movement in the upcoming World Zionist Congress elections, please remember to vote between March 10 to May 4. Voting Reform will help us have our voices heard in Israel.  

To learn more about the efforts of our Israeli Reform Movement partners and to help support their work, please consider a donation to the WRJ YES Fund. And if given the opportunity to visit Israel, please go – those in Israel are so grateful for our visits.  

During our recent trip, I saw the joy of our Reform and Progressive Movement work, and I heard so much appreciation for the support and partnership of WRJ North America. Thank you, all, for being a part of these vital efforts.