Interesting, if Israel does not change the Laws here, well then Israel wont receive money and support. I don't know but it sounds like extortion to me. People forget that Israel is not America, and Israeli's are not Americans. Do not threaten Israel, it is our blood that is spilled. If the Rabbi's mentioned want to "fix" the situation, maybe they should reconnect with the people of the country, all of the country. I am sorry, life in Israel is not just about your money and the banquets at AIPAC.

The Jewish People have always been made up of different kinds of Jews. We have to make every effort to explain to all Jews that the Land of Israel is their home. Some of them may want to become religiously observant, and some may not - but if this Land cannot be the home of all Jews, then our State will not be able to last. A united Jewish people will not fear anti-Semitism as explained at : http://tinyurl.com/6rj7bt

Yonason, there are many ways of manipulating statistics. However, I trust your skills are simly not that good. 50% may be the historical figure of intermarriage, but counting the intermarired and their ofspring, it would be something like 12 or 15 million population of Jews and intermarrieds. The ones who still are Jews or converted according to Conservative/ reform, are part of the Jewish American population. Whilst Orthodox Halacha might not recognize their conversions, the point is they claim to be Jews and are part of the populaiton in question. You are talking about peopel like Tony Curtis and Kirk Douglas who intermarried, and their kids liek Jamie Leight Curtis and Michael Douglas who are not halachically considered Jewish enough to return to Israel. But there are many who still are. And they are interested in Israel.

come in israel if you want to help !!!

They were conservative in the 1970's when they were fighting for Soviet Jewry's freedom. Now they're just feminists, pro-sodomites, pro-dead baby pretend Jews. Let's be clear - the word "Conservative" is just a plain lie.

Two organizations that have been 100% failures in their own survival, or helping an Israeli hero in their own back yards. Not something to emulate I think.

Who the hell do these arrogant american jews think they are ?? when Obama turns on them they will come running and crying to Israel .

Who voted for and elected Obama..another twit.

Far more than Israel could ever need them.

American jews have a grossly exaggerated sense of their own importance.They are impotent not important. They are also in a situation like german jews in the 1930s but are far too dumb to realize it.By consistently taking their money , greedy immoral Israeli politicians have massaged the egos of american jews.

All weapons. Rabbi Schonfeld can defend Israel single-handedly,in her Superwoman costume.

Saved europes' jews from the ovens seventy years ago ?? NOT

and what can be done to avoid the schism? 1. Sadly, while the Jews of Israel have spent their entire efforts during the past 62 years to absorb ascenders and integrate them, defend the country from those eager to annihilate it and ensure its economic survival despite all odds, we have not paid enough attention to the Jews in the the US. 2. But hasn't been the duty of the American Jewish community to ensure Jewish education in areas such as the Hebrew language, Jewish history, geography of Eretz Israel, Jewish literature as well as religious heritage? The Jewish community of Canada managed better. Those of Argentina and Mexico have done much better. Instead of sustaining none Jewish education and cultural institutions the Jewish community as a whole could have invested much more efforts and funds on Jewish education that would have enabled us today to avoid such as schism from developing. 3. The only way out is education, education, education!!! Not only so one would do a "good job" reading the Torah once in a life time. Reading and understanding the entire Hebrew Bible is not a "job", it must be a calling of every Jewish girl and boy! Understanding Hebrew, appreciating Jewish history and not only "The Holocaust", learning to sing Hebrew songs and recite Hebrew poetry is where it is. And the cradle of these aspects of Jewish civilization is Eretz Israel: Shkhem, not Nablus. Hevron, not Hebron. Beit Lehem, not Bethlehem. Gamla, Tzipori. Beer Sheva. Most of the work must be done and sustained by the American Jewish community while Israelis can assist. Will its leaders see the need for it...??

to appease the huge percentage of US Jews who have intermarried, converted to Christianity and are comepletely ignorant of even the simplest knowledge of Judaism and Israel and even the Alef Beys for their which borders on if not self hatred but certainly abandonment.

Young assimilated American Jews worship at the altar of so called progressivism. They want nothing to do with Israel. Their idea of Judaism is multiculti, transgender, new age drivel. Israel has enough trouble with its own leftists. They are lost. Forget about them.

I'm a convert (reform) with an israeli wife and 3 israeli kids. Because of this we will not make aliyah. Your are missing 4 real jews. And this is only my case

First of all, if we are going at this from a religious/theological perspective, then surely the most important thing for Israel is to keep G-d happy - not America as Rabbi Yoffe said. If so, then following the Halacha is vital. But even without this it raises an interesting question. If American Jewry are so concerned about Israeli democracy, and the vast majority of Israeli voters do not consider themselves to be Reform, Conservative or any other "non-Orthodox" sects, then how can they overturn the will of the Israeli electorate? American Jews - just like the USA in general - are simply pushy and determined to foist their beliefs and ideas onto other people. If their support for the only Jewish State is conditional on this issue then the Jewish Nation needs to seriously consider the place of the American Jewish community. Money should not define who is a Jew - our ancient heritage should.

It's important to speak the truth - here is a feminist who by assuming falsely the esteemed cloak of rabbi has done her bit to destroy the traditional family and the traditional shul. She should get 39 lashes then be sent back to the kitchen to do her real job - be a woman. And please, don't pretend you are conservative, you're a leftist looney Julie.

Schonfeld is a feminist chancer ,NOT a Rabbi in any normal meaning of the term.

That is my opinion being a first born man of an Orthodox Jewish family with one younger sister. Orthodox Rabbi's are extremely corrupt and they also exaggerate their numbers claiming are numbers are growing which I don't think they are as I read the same nonsense 20 years ago that Orthodoxy will become more dominant but I see no evidence of it as many become unaffiliated or are unmarried and they aren't counted in the birth rates. The highest percent of Jews in America are unaffiliated Jews. Not Reform, Conservative, or Orthodox. This is because of corruption of most Organized Judaism by their leaders. This being the case while I don't agree with Conservative and Reform on many positions regardless Orthodoxy also I don't agree with on many positions and they themselves twist the torah to sit certain agenda's even worse sometimes then Conservative and Reform does. So end Orthodox monopoly. They also are full of hatred towards other Jews which also is wrong and inappropriate.

stop claiming to be rabbis when they are not truly rabbis, they can stop claiming to be concerned about Jews and Israel when that is patently false; their main goals are unrelated to the Jewish people. It is an inevitable conflict between heresy and orthodoxy, it is a conflict which MOTIVATES the existence of the heretics and was the genesis of their birth. The solution is never to compromise with them, rather, you simply wait for their hypocrisy to destroy them and it always will.

Why don't jews from all denominations join together...... A jew is a jew.......

Shame on Wernick and Schonfeld! Israel is in crisis. At this very moment, Obama is entertaining the idea of going along with a UN vote to impose sanctions on Israel. Instead of uniting with fellow Jews to support Israel in her hour of need, these Reform and Conservative "Jewish leaders" choose this time to further their political agenda by dumping on Israel and threatening to withdraw their support of the Jewish State.

ineffective rabbis. They are more interested in synagogue politics than Israel. They want to be p.c. with other religions. They kiss up to any politicians that looks their way. " Israel, a vast majority of religious Jews are Orthodox." Not atheists? If you want to defend Israel, you do it from Israel, not the U.S. Join the I.D.F. Too bad these "rabbis" do not support Israel like the Evangelists. We saw the support of the American "jews" when 78% of them voted for an enemy of Israel and the Jews. But then again what is another six million Jews killed if they live in far off Israel?

Wow !! If any remote criticism of Israel's policies is raised in this forum, everyone (especially those in the Diaspora) are united in "blasting" whoever "dares" to criticize Israel. Anything done in Israel is holy and must be right !! If so, how could the Israeli Government be wrong in this case ????? But just raise this issue, and the divisions surface. Lets face it, the only reason Judaism has prevailed over the centuries is due to the diligence and adherence of the Orthodox Jews. Conversion by Reforms (I would use the Israeli slang..."Allek...") sprinkle some holy water on a guy & call him a Jew. No difference between them & Christianity. In fact, Christianity is the first & original brand of Reform Judaism. The Pope is actually the head of the largest Reform Church.

They are liberals first...Israel is secondary to them.

This is the price you pay for having you nice rav omar....and the rest of his sepharrdic gang....making decision that are not compliant with halacha itself!

What hate most of you display to your fellow Jews. Shame on all of you who wrote such disgusting e-mails. Truth is there is much in all 3 denominations to be angry with. Ultra-Ortho renouncing the ortho conversions recently is not exactly 'ahavat Yisroel'. Also, to US jews - if you won't live in Israel how about visiting it?? More than 2/3 of US Jews have never been to Israel even once-truly disgusting-yet they have the nerve to 'pontificate'.

subhuman scum. In FACT, the Orthodox have systematically taken control of the city to such a point that all other Israelis washed their hands of the place. My Tel Aviv friends say, "To us Jerusalem does nbot exist.". This is exactly what the Orthodoxy wants. These people are nasty and aggressive--even the women in shops push others away. The Orthodox have taken the city over the last three years and it is lost. There is no hope for Jerudalem anymore. It is gone. It IS a filfthy ghetto. The trash and filth is disgusting. I hear Hashem cry from above at what has happened. SHAME on Israel for allowing it!

Nos. 18, 46, 32, 52, perhaps others, are correct. Here I disagree with friends with whom I often agree: Kyle, Israeli, Bunnie, Jason, LAWRENCE, et al. Israeli Jews and diaspora Jews need each other. It is a symbiotic relationship. We Zionist Jews here in America are of tremendous help to Israel in so many ways. In return American Jewish rabbis and converts often get disrespected in Israel, where the ultra-Orthodox have a death grip on religion. The Jewish religious situation here in America is complicated and too detailed to go into in one talkback. But, friends, keep an open mind.