Get real. Reform Jews don't want religious services in their hotels. Since when is prayer an important part of daily life for R and C Jews??? Mr. Kariv and Mr. Hess are merely trying to rock the boat in Israel. If they had ANY interest in prayer, they would be demanding rights to pray on the Jewish Temple Mount - but that would offend their friends in the Islamic Waqf instead of their enemies in the Rabbinate. They are just looking for publicity.

The great majority of Jews in the world are members of orthodox synagogues. They may not be fully observant but their affilation is orthodox. The liberal movements are dominant in the US, but not in Israel and other countries. They are tiny in France, Australia, South Africa, South America. Non existent in many smaller jewish communities. In fact surveys in the US of the membership of liberal congregations point out that the ideological core who fully believe their ideology is much smaller. The liberal leaders should stop making false claims of representing the majority of world Jewry which clearly are not true

Most israelies are "mesorati" conservatism and reform ism are "ism's" that were created over the last 100-200 years... Israelies generally are religious or not and they dont care for the American BS "feel good" modifications of religion...

women with tallit and sefer torah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Since when do reform have "customs" to pray? Like #2 said "They are just looking for publicity"

I do not want to provoke argument, but this is Eretz Yisroel. This is not about who is right or not, or who is Jewish or not. It's about respecting the traditions and laws that G-d gave to us on Mt. Sinai and were brought to Israel.

I am an archaeologist. I specialize in the archaeology of biblical stories. I am also a member of the Reform Jewish community. I have to say that my knowledge of archaeology and the Hebrew bible tells me there is profound need for reform of the Jewish consensus with regard to the divinity of the Torah's historical narrative. It is not easy to accept that most of it is mythology wrapped around ancient legalism. If that legalism is to stand up against the world outside of Israel we had better build a stronger moral consensus concerning the divinity of the Torah's historical narrative. It was not written by GOD. It was written by men thinking about what GOD wants for us human beings..... how we can be happy..... legally happy, wealthy and wise. This ambition is eternal. So let's be Jews. Put our hands up (yadah) praise GOD and get our consciences publicly clear on this. WE NEED REFORM. We cannot win the social and religious psychological war being waged against Jews in general by forcs in the world without a stronger public consensus concerning our epistemology of belief. Whose house is built on sand? Whose house is built on rock? Whose foundations are firmly set? You know all of Israel's university departmnts of archaeology would tell you just what I have said above. WE need to pray together, sing together, walk the talk together.

I REALLY ask a question. May be somebody can enlighten me on the matter: The Hotels in Israel don't follow the Halachah, they about the profit only, so 1) If the Conservatives are the majority it is good for the Hotels to follow Conservatives law but they don't! Hotels are not obligated to be Kosher AT ALL! Some Hotels are not I know this fact from the first hands but the majority does even in relatively secular Haifa (in comparison with Jerusalem). 2) Hotels pay huge money (I know this from the first hands too: 1/3 of their profit) for Hashgachat Kashrut. So they are willing to pay 1/3, they are loosing like the Author of the article say...so why don't they just drop the supervision? Or it is profitable anyway? So if it is profitable let them do it..or I'm wrong?

At least in their own minds. According to "their" customs, they are the only ones who can tell who is Jewish and who isn't, as well as define what Jewish means. But wait, which Orthodox group should we listen to: the regular Othodox or the ultra Orthodox? The Ashkenazim or the Sepharadim?

Wait when they become a majority ;)

The reform movement do not actually seem to believe in anything, as our archeologist friend has so nicely pointed out, so they don't need to pretend to pray. In anycase remember this is the movement who stopped praying for the return to the holy land because they were such proud citizens of germany.

Obviously, you are aware that Reform and Conservative Jews love the Torah and prayer, and study of Jewish religious learning. Indeed, most of the Jews in the Diaspora--certainly in the US and Europe--are some form of Reform or Conservative, and it is the energy and enthusiasm of these congregations and communities that support Israel and Judaism in the world. You know, we as Jews have enough enemies in this world without having to tear ourselves apart with the kind of contempt you display here.

Thank you for alerting me about the 19th century movement in Germany. I was not aware of that. Well they may have been ultra pacifists in them days. Was they wrong? Here in London people would say .... nah they weren't. Know what I mean. The Britsh Imperial Army liberated the land from the Ottomans later on. Amongst other things, the security of the State of Israel, and all Jews everywhere in this world, will come through consensual reform of our epistemology of belief. It is a responsibility of artists and media broadcasters to make expositions of the archaeology. Show what we believe in. Demonstrate our resolve that we will not bear false witness to the truth. We will not bear false witness about the past and not definitely not about the present. We want people to trust us. RESPECT US. This will not be protected by the imperialism of the orthodox establishment as it is configured today. Nobody should be offended at the Reform Movement. We are carrying the word REFORM to all Israel. Reform us if you will! Thankyou sir. You are a scholar. A good scholar. I salute your wisdom.

inventing "clashes" and imagined slights where there aren't because nobody cares enough except some bogus writers who spin articles from nothing. What actually happened here? Nothing. They are painting themselves as a discriminated minority when nothing has actually happened. Again, the Religious Action Committe (Reforms' legal dept) is at work trying to make a name for themselves in Israel by creating awareness of their existence through doofus articles about their "downtrodden" selves. Cheap shot PR. A little too desperate. Reform: stick to whittling down the Jewish population via assimmilation in the US (80% approx)...or have you managed to assimmilate them to the point that you've no congregation left and have to move on, ebola-like, to liquify the Jewish people in their own homeland. Reform is the U.S.-Jews "inside job".

... In Israel, many areas of life are dictated by the policies of Jewish life - and the concensus consistantly feels that Jewish life is defined by halacha and the Orthodox Rabbinical Establishment. However, the implementers of these policies, be they the people running the show in the Interior Ministry offices or be they Hotel employees, are themselves non-observant and they hold many innacurate preconceptions. Oftentimes there are complaints against the descriminate behavior of the ultra-Orthodox policy makers (who maintain cushy high level positions and are disconnected from the management level), while in truth these complaints need to be directed to the mid-level managers innaccurately implementing the policies based on their false preconceptions of how "the haredi upper-ups" want things to be. The reality is that ultra-Orthodox application often ends up with the most likely of bedfellows. The Reform movement is not always "a problem" and the secular interest is not always "inadequate." But it is in the nature of mid-level employess to assume the mastery of their more scholarly overlords and decide that "all prayers to the rabbi must come through me." This is where the system is broken, and both the public as well as the haredi decisors need to wake up and recognize this.

BIG BREAKFAST? My ideal? Fresh Orange Juice Grapefruit Halloumi Style Cheese Salad Egg Mamoosa made with Chills Potatoes Mushrooms and Tomatoes Freshly Baked Rolls Apricot Jam Washed down with lots of strong Breakfast Tea

and this is how: I as an orthodox Jew can't go through check out procedures in the middle of Shabbat....since Hotel checkout is at noon, my family, friends and I all end up paying EXTRA money to stay to the end of Shabbat. This is the Jewish State shouldn't I be able to get to stay in the hotel without extra payment to the end of Shabbat? This is discrimination! I am so angry about how the hotels are taking advantage of all of their guests...lets get together ALL JEWS and let the hotels know that we are not taking any of this discrimination any more!

The prejudicial attitude by hotels against non-orthodox prayer is an outrageous insuyt to most jews. It just shows that Israeli just want the buck to be brought in and show no respect for non-orthodox Israeli jews unless they have money to leave in Israel.

Nothing to do with Jews, nothing to do with Israel, nothing to do with conservatism - just part of the USA/Hollywood fantasy world of descendants of Jews who are no longer Jews themselves.

Look at the majority of responses here. This is a disgusting attitude. Well, I guess if Israel doesn't need our support, she can look for it elsewhere.

YOU ARE NOT orthodox. You would NOT CHECKOUT on shabbat. You would be relaxing with family then going to shul for minha and arbit. NO ORTHODOX JEW would consider **checking out* on shabbat. ATT:#14,YOU SAY you are aware that Reform and Conservative Jews love the Torah and prayer, and study of Jewish religious learning" THIS IS NOT OBSERVING AND SERVING GDs LAW. This is learning on an intellectual level without the purpose of observance as Gd wants. The same way one supports the whales and other earthly materiel pursuits. YOU ARE TEARING TORAH AND JUDAISM APART by rewriting GDS WORDS who said not to change a letter of "MY TORAH" you changed the whole book to satisfy your sickness as if you are a god. YES you created your own new religion and IT AINT JUDAISM.

Here's how the lie works. Pollster asks a Jew for his affiliation. The Jew replies, "Well, I don't go to temple on the Sabbath. I don't go to temple on holidays. I don't keep kosher. I don't eat matzah on Passover. I guess that means I'm Reform." Here's the deal. If you're ever not going to temple, your local Reform temple is one BEAUTIFUL temple you're not going to. Half of Reform congregations aren't even Jewish. They're the non-Jewish spouses or fake "quickie converts" who memorized a list of Philip Roth novels. They blow soap bubbles on Malibu beach and call it a wedding. Local autonomy of Reform temples means you can be ANYTHING and call it Judaism. They add extra candles to the menorah for every Tom, Dick and Harry who ever had an ingrown toenail. They rewrite the Haggada to blather on about the Palestinians and Australian aborigines. And they support every enemy of Israel and opposed the return to Zion since the beginning of Reform. Knesset members from many parties agreed to visit Reform temples and concluded they were like a Christian cult. From their inception they had gowns and organs to mimic churches. Jews don't want Reform pajama parties at their hotels any more than they want Buddhist opium dens.

So they think they can get hotels to supply them with their usual canned victimhood theatrics. This is a ponzi scheme to get hotels to fabricate Reform temples for them on the cheap without paying for the supplies and real estate. Just mooching off of the fees paid by other hotel guests. My heart bleeds for the oppressed Reformistani people. Typical of Reform to get it down to money when their real problem is that they're short on membership since they put off having kids till they've bought their second BMW.

#19 is saying that they are paying extra money because they can't check out on Shabbat!

With copy machine, glue & paper I'll fill Reform orders at no time! Such Scrolls sure befit the congregations! $399.00 apiece! Line up & have cash ready!

I grew up in an Orthodox synagogue and presently attend a Conservative one. Let me clue you in on a few facts to overcome your ignorance. Our services are exactly the same as yours, using the exact same sidur, except for there being no Mehitza and women being allowed to go up to the Torah. Additionally, as far as the Kehila is concerned, they are much more pleasant and welcoming than the Orthodox movement. So, instead of becoming a taliban, trying being a mentsch every once in a while.