Comments on: A different and momentous Yom Kippur in downtown NY

By: Lee Diamond

Lee Diamond — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 04:47:29 +0000

I attended a Shabbat service @ a progressive synagogue in Jerusalem. Rabbis For Human Rights took us there as part of our trip.

By: AYLA

AYLA — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:07:26 +0000

@LIBBY–thanks so much for this. I lived in NYC for ten years and now live in Israel. One thing that really saddens me here is the choice Israelis feel they have to make between traditional, religiously-based spirituality and humanity. That’s nuts. No wonder everyone goes to India. I get it, though–I’m imagining that had I grown up here, I’d feel the same way. It’s changing here, though! I want to invite you to check out Nava Tehila, a Renewal Judaism congregation in Jerusalem. They’re on facebook and have a website. The rabbi is Reb. Ruth Kagan. That’s right… And in case the whole thing sounds very American, Ruth Kagan is Israeli-born, as are well over half of the congregants.

By: Libby

Libby — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:18:56 +0000

Thanks Louis. (Louis? Is that you?) I agree with everything that you’ve said – I think what was so refreshing about this particular experience was that to me it felt as though no one checked anything at the door. The commitments shouted out at “aleinu” were varied and received equal acknowledgement from the crowd – including a sense of accountability for the occupation but certainly not only that. Have a listen: http://www.beyondthepale.org/episode/2011/10/09

By: Rachelle Pachtman

Rachelle Pachtman — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 07:50:59 +0000

Great comment Louis.

By: Louis

Louis — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 20:36:49 +0000

But Libby there is in Israel progressive Jewish (religious) voices… they are there… need to flush them out and they are not always as politically progressive as we would like them… but at the same time we should also ask of many who took part at Occupy Wall St. how many of them leave their progressiveness at the door when Israel is the question… I am sure many in the closer circles would be as progressive on I/P as we are but in Israel the progressive Jewish community is one of those spaces of political and social expression that can be better befriended to help undermine the fanatic manipulations of the Jewish Narrative that permits racism, Occupation, ethnocracy, misogynistic religious practice and theo-fascism.