The religious kulturkampf The intense political and economic challenges confronting us divert attention from a festering kulturkampf within the religious arena the outcome of which will impact heavily on the future of Israeli society. Orthodox Jews were never a monolithic...
Getting it wrong with the Pope Any discussion amongst Jews relating to the Catholic Church invariably triggers off emotional responses. But even taking this into account, the rage displayed by some Israelis against the conduct of Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to Israel was...
The Challenges facing Religious Zionism Lecture to Rabbinical Council of America Jerusalem, 24/3/09 My objective in this outline is to review the changes that have impacted on religious Zionism over the past 40 years and identify the challenges currently facing the movement. Mizrachi was...
Exorcise the rot from our midst The masked Jewish youngsters, who assaulted defenceless Arabs, attacked fellow Jews and defied the laws of the state, succeeded superbly in undermining the legitimacy of the settlement movement as a whole and strengthened public support for the...
A courageous rabbi talks to the Catholic synod Haifa Chief Rabbi She’ar Yashuv Cohen recently became the first Jew to address a synod of bishops at the Vatican. He did so with dignity and diplomacy, and unlike many Jews engaged in interfaith activity, he courageously raised issues that...
The haredi offensive against religious Zionism If religious Zionists are to be constructive partners in state-building and avoid relegating themselves to isolated enclaves, they must take positive steps to preserve and promote the Jewish character of the nation without coercion.
Bravo to Michael Melchior I am hardly a fan of Rabbi Michael Melchior’s politics. But I must commend the Labor-Meimad MK who, as chairman of the Knesset Education Committee, is taking a major step toward breaking the religious-secular impasse in the woefully ailing...
Retreat from reason High birthrates have substantially increased the number of observant Jews. Yeshivot are blooming and there is a widespread increase in ritual observance. A sense of triumphalism prevails among Orthodox Israelis. But there is a disconcerting aspect...
The looming haredi disaster There is now a long-overdue recognition: the erosion of Jewish identity in the curriculum of the dominant secular school system is having disastrous repercussions. In their frenetic zeal to promote universalism, secular educators have diluted Jewish...
Jerusalem’s Pride Divide The passionate controversy over the gay pride parade planned for Jerusalem earlier this month brought to a head the worst aspects of life in Israel. The storm can be viewed as a microcosm of the decadent trends that have steadily infiltrated our...
