'Stop fearing Reform Judaism'
As World Union of Progressive Judaism expands its activities in Israel, leading religious-Zionist calls for reexamining stance on non-Orthodox communities
"Orthodox Judaism needs to reexamine its attitude towards the Reform movement and not cling to the sanctity of conservatism," says Rabbi Yisrael Rozen, head of the Zomet Institute and a leading figure in the world of religious Zionism.
"They are preferable to the seculars," writes Rozen in his weekly column in a religious leaflet handed out in synagogues on Shabbat. Rozen dedicated his column to the subject following statements made last week by the World Union of Progressive Judaism regarding their intentions to expand their activities in Israel.
Rozen welcomes what he sees as the Reform movement strengthening its ties with Zionism; this despite the "danger of Reform immigration and an increase in their strength here."
Rozen writes that the uncompromising approach towards the Reform movement is an outdated "war of the past." He compares it to the negative attitude the strictly Orthodox public harbors towards Religious Zionism.
'Treat Reform Movement as separate religion'
Speaking with Ynet, Rozen said that he had no objections to secular Jews carrying out religious traditions such as circumcisions, Bar Mitzvah, marriage and burial ceremonies within a Reform framework. He also did not object to Reform Jews establishing an independent education system.
"Their synagogues are booked for Bar Mitzvah's two years in advance, because that's the only place you can photograph on Sabbat… nothing has changed, I do not fear it," he said.
Rozen did object to recognizing Reform conversions or allowing Reform rabbis to serve in the Rabbinate. He suggested that the Reform movement shall be considered as a separate religion and would therefore receive state funding in accordance with their numbers in the community.
Rozen, unlike other rabbis, believes that secularism is worse than Reform Judaism, even though the latter, he stresses, has betrayed the Torah of Israel, the people of Israel and the Land of Israel.
It is better, Rozen said, to have a Bar Mitzvah in the Reform community if the alternative was complete secularism. "I know that many of my friends will disagree with me on this matter, but despite this I adhere to my position."
Rozen insisted that his statements only pertain to the Reform movement in Israel, because its overseas counterparts in Western Europe and the United States have legitimized mixed marriages. "In the eyes of Israel's legacy there is no forgiveness for this behavior practiced under the wings of the Reform movement, but one must admit that in this matter the situation in Israel differs from the one in the Diaspora."
Rozen stresses that he does not support any degree of negotiations with reformists in Israel but rather a change in the Orthodox movement's dogmatic approach.
"I therefore call for renewed thinking in the approach Israel's religious Judaism adopts towards the Reform Jews in our midst. I call for rational, logical, even strategic thinking, not clinging to the sanctity of conservatism," said Rozen.
