The rabbinate strikes back: 2015 in Israeli religious pluralism

Nine months after ultra-Orthodox return to government, hope scant for change to make space for non-Orthodox groups in Israel

By Ben Sales
December 31, 2015, 3:50 am

JTA — Two years ago, Israeli advocates for religious pluralism spoke of a “window of opportunity” to advance their cause. For the first time in a decade, the governing coalition included no haredi Orthodox parties. The Knesset’s second biggest party, Yesh Atid, advanced a raft of legislation to change the Orthodox-controlled status quo. Even the religious Zionist Jewish Home party seemed open to change.

Now, it’s safe to say that window has shut. If 2013 and 2014 saw limited progress on religious reforms in Israel, from army service to conversion, 2015 was the year the country’s haredi Orthodox establishment reasserted itself. Haredi leaders reentered the government, rolled back reforms and sent warning signals to leaders who questioned business as usual.

2014 ended on something of a high note for religious pluralism activists: In late November, the government enacted new regulations that allowed dozens of local Orthodox rabbis to perform Jewish conversions — effectively stripping Israel’s haredi Orthodox Chief Rabbinate of its monopoly on conversion.

Days later, the government fell apart, elections were called and religion-and-state fell off Israel’s agenda. The campaign revolved around questions of economics and security, not marriage and conversion. And both left and right made clear they would include haredi parties in their coalition — spelling doom for the 2013-14 reforms.



In this Friday, Oct. 8, 2010, file photo, an Israeli woman of the Women of the Wall organization wears tefillin, a leather strapped box containing Torah scripture which is used for prayer, as she holds a Torah and prepares to pray at the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray in Jerusalem’s old city. (AP Photo/Tara Todras-Whitehill, File)

http://www.timesofisrael.com/the-rabbinate-strikes-back-2015-in-israeli-religious-pluralism/'

http://womenofthewall.org.il/