Why are Reform Jews issuing Yom Kippur messages in
Arabic this year?
A
closer look at their High Holy Day messages reveals how the various streams of
Judaism in Israel are trying to brand themselves, and whom they see as target
audiences.
By Judy Maltz
| Oct. 1, 2014 |
Although still relatively small,
the non-Orthodox – as well as more progressive Orthodox – Jewish movements have
been gaining a foothold in Israel in recent years. In large part, the trend
reflects a backlash against the stranglehold of the Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox
establishments on many aspects of civil life in Israel.
A survey of online campaigns with a
High Holy Day theme – the first of their kind – provides some insight into how
the various Jewish movements are trying to brand themselves these days and whom
they see as their target audiences.
Take, for example, the Reform
movement, also known as the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism.
This most non-Orthodox of all the non-Orthodox movements has decided to take
its usual message of egalitarianism and tolerance in a new direction this year,
beyond the Jewish sphere: “Israelis helping Israelis celebrate the holidays
with dignity” is the title of its holiday campaign, which urges Israeli Jews to embrace
Israeli Muslims, and to take advantage of the rare coincidence of the fast of
Yom Kippur falling this year on the very same day as the Islamic festival of Id
al-Adha (the Feast of the Sacrifice).
Led by the Reform movement’s Keren
BeKavod (fund for dignity), the campaign calls on Israeli Jews to donate food
to other Jews and to Muslims who don’t have anything to put on their tables
during this holiday season.
On its website, where it promotes
the campaign on a video in both Hebrew and Arabic, the Reform movement explains
that the purpose is to “underscore our commitment to promoting coexistence and
religious tolerance in Israeli society.” It urges Israelis with means to donate
either a package of food or coupons for clothing to “disadvantaged Israeli
families in all communities and sectors in Israeli society to help nurture a
Jewish-Israeli voice that is responsible, moderate and seeks peace and
interfaith understanding."
Yuli Goren, the spokeswoman of the
Reform movement, explains that the decision to expand on the usual messages
this year stemmed from a feeling that “we just couldn’t ignore the rising tide
of racism in the country in recent months.” The High Holy Days, she says,
“provided an opportunity to use the Jewish calendar to fight against racism,
and we are the only Jewish movement in Israel doing something like this.”
Friendly Orthodoxy
Tzohar, an organization of
progressive-minded Orthodox rabbis, doesn’t exactly qualify as a religious
movement per se. Still, it’s gained prominence in recent years as a group that
is bent on making Orthodoxy friendlier to secular Israelis, particularly by
means of a large cadre of volunteer rabbis who officiate at wedding ceremonies
around the country.
Tzohar may identify as an Orthodox
organization, but a visitor to its (Hebrew) website could easily be led to
understand otherwise. “We pray together on Yom Kippur” is the title of its High
Holy Days campaign, which invites “men and women, parents and children,
youngsters and adults, secular and religious, to a hospitable, experiential,
Israeli, joint Yom Kippur prayer that includes explanation, song, discussion
and shofar-blowing at the conclusion of the holiday.”
Aside from a photo of a man blowing
a shofar, the page also includes a picture of what appears to be a
happy family – a mother and father (incidentally, neither have their heads
covered, as is typical among the Orthodox) and a daughter and son.
