Israel – Page 2 – Reconstructing Judaism

Rabbi Deborah Waxman on Israel, Kaplan & Diaspora Jews

June 1, 2023

There’s much food for thought in this vital web conversation about how non-Orthodox Jews relate to Israel, featuring Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D., president and CEO of Reconstructing Judaism. The program was organized by SAPIR, the influential journal of ideas for the Jewish future which recently launched an in-house institute to bring ideas to fruition. Waxman was in conversation with Channan Weissman director of the New SAPIR Institute, a former State Department official and White House liaison to the Jewish community.

Reconstructing Judaism joins Progressive Israel Network in welcoming U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism

May 30, 2023

The Progressive Israel Network (PIN) welcomes the Biden administration’s national-level plan to fight antisemitism, a plan that demonstrates the federal government’s commitment to confronting this serious threat.

An Israeli flag in the foreground, Haifa and the Bahai Temple in the background.

Israel is in Danger of Losing American Jewry

May 2, 2023

If ethno-nationalism is bad for Jews as a minority in the Diaspora, then ethno-nationalism practiced by Jews as the majority, holding state power, is also bad.

What’s Happening in Israel and What Can We Do in This Moment?

March 29, 2023

As Israel Affairs Specialist at Reconstructing Judaism, I have many conversations with people across the movement about Israel. Given how fast events have been developing in Israel, a lot of people are asking “what’s happening” and “what can we do?” I’d like to offer some thoughts. What follows is solely

Reconstructing Judaism and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association join call on American Jewish organizations to refuse to host Smotrich

March 6, 2023

We, the undersigned, who care deeply about the security and well-being of the State of Israel, are signing this letter to protest the racism and incitement of long-time settlement movement leader and Netanyahu-appointed Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich who is reportedly planning a trip to the United States.

Shootings, Raids, Killings, and a Pogrom – Responding to Current Violence in Israel and Palestine

February 28, 2023

The Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association and Reconstructing Judaism condemn the killings of Hallel and Yagel Yamiv, and Elan Ganeles by terrorists in the West Bank. We also condemn those who used these tragedies as an excuse to rampage through the Palestinian town of Huwara, burning homes and cars and killing at least one Palestinian man, Samah Hamdallah Aktas, in what can only be described as a pogrom.

An overview of the Western Wall Plaza in Jerusalem with the Dome of the Rock in the background.

A Clarion Call against Ethnonatioanlism

January 25, 2023

This letter, along with the growing number of statements of protest from many quarters of the Jewish community, is a clarion call. These statements communicate that this government and what it espouses are not normal and should not be normalized. They seize the opportunity to reassert the kind of Zionism championed by Justice Louis Brandeis, who equated Zionism with American democracy, and who believed in a Zionism dedicated to giving social justice and democratic values expanded expression.

The Situation in Hebron is Oppressive: Rabbi Deborah Waxman

December 14, 2022

My needles moved rhythmically, creating orderly rows of delicate knots as we rolled into the center of Hebron that Thursday afternoon. When I got off the bus and looked around, I could hardly recognize the place I’d visited as an adolescent.

Statement on the Formation of a New Israeli Government

November 18, 2022

The State of Israel and the world’s Jewish Diaspora communities have a relationship built on a common history and shared values.

The reality of a ruling coalition in Israel that will include dozens of Knesset members who freely express racist, homophobic and anti-democratic beliefs is frightening and is an anathema to Progressive Judaism.

News

Rabbi Deborah Waxman on Israel, Kaplan & Diaspora Jews

Reconstructing Judaism joins Progressive Israel Network in welcoming U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism

Israel is in Danger of Losing American Jewry

What’s Happening in Israel and What Can We Do in This Moment?

Reconstructing Judaism and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association join call on American Jewish organizations to refuse to host Smotrich

Shootings, Raids, Killings, and a Pogrom – Responding to Current Violence in Israel and Palestine

A Clarion Call against Ethnonatioanlism

The Situation in Hebron is Oppressive: Rabbi Deborah Waxman

Statement on the Formation of a New Israeli Government

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