Recording of Anat Hoffman speaking about arrest of woman of the wall

Recording of Anat Hoffman at Pro-Zion event held with Southgate Reform Synagogue on Thursday 26th November - Anat talks about the arrest of Nofrat Frankel and the history of women of the wall as well as the work of IRAC

Since this talk Anat has been called in for questioning by Jerusalem police. You can help the campaign for religious freedom by signing one of these petitions, one to President Simon Peres http://www.petitiononline.com/ar012010/ and another on the IRAC website http://www.irac.org/petitionsign.aspx

Anat has also requested that you write to your local Israeli ambassador to express your displeasure - there is a sample letter here http://www.arzenu.org.il/profiles/blogs/letter-from-anat-hoffman-what

Pro-Zion email, Anat Hoffman interrogated - resent...

Dear Members,

There are three articles for you this week.

1. Anat Hoffman interrogated by police.
2. Religious advocates decry Rabbinical statement calling conversion
reversible.
3. Preventing mamzerot - at what cost?  By Andrew Sacks

We would like to particularly draw your attention to the first article.
  Anat Hoffman, Executive Director of IRAC, and one of the founders of
Women of the Wall, was interrogated by police for her actions at the
Kottel.  Anat is being investigated for committing a felony, with her
only crime as praying, reading from a Sefer Torah, and wearing a Talit.
  Amazingly, the police overlook the violent abuse that this group
receive for exercising what is surely their right.  If you agree that
this is an injustice, please find attached a pre-drafted letter and
send it to His Excellency Ron Prosor, Ambassador of Israel.  It is
important that as Progressive Jews in the UK we show our support to our
Progressive friends in Israel and let the Israeli Government know that
we in the Diaspora would like to see an end to this Religious
discrimination.  Please find the time and send the letter.

Finally, the Institute of Jewish Policy Research has launched a new
survey online last week.  This is the first survey of its kind asking
British Jewry about their thoughts and attitudes towards Israel.  A
link to take part in the survey can be found on JPR's website
http://www.jpr.org.uk/index.php. ; This is a worthwhile project and we
hope you get the chance to take part.

Shabbat Shalom to all,
Charlie, Daniel and all at Pro Zion

 

Rabbi Miri Gold Petition

Sign the petition at www.irac.org

Shalom,

I was heartened to learn that over 3,500 people have signed the
www.irac.org petition demanding recognition for Reform rabbis in Israel.
Our court case, which began in September, 2005, reflects the resolve of
the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism to be pro-active on issues
of religious pluralism in Israel. The Israel Religious Action Center has
brought our case to the court and raised awareness among Israeli
citizens who believe that Israel must be a democracy.

There is another facet that I'd like to call to your attention. I was
picked as the "test case" because Peter Weiss, the "mayor" of our Gezer
Regional Council, to which my home, Kibbutz Gezer, belongs, was willing
to stick his neck out, risk the wrath of the Orthodox (and it has rained
down hard!), and come to bat for us. He wrote to the Prime Minister's
Office, to the person managing the Department of Religious Affairs (in
the short oasis of time when there was no Ministry of Religious
Affairs), asking that Kibbutz Gezer, populated by liberal Jews, be
assigned a liberal rabbi. He pointedly added that there IS a liberal
rabbi at Gezer, who de facto serves the community, and that rabbi, Miri
Gold, be recognized and salaried by the State, just like the sixteen
Orthodox rabbis who serve other communities in the region.

I believe that Peter Weiss' willingness to write this letter of advocacy
stems from his connections with the Kansas City Jewish Community, which
"partners" with the Region. This partnership shows that our connections
to progressive Jewish communities outside of Israel and the influence
that they can make will make the difference.

We need your support to bolster this fledgling turning point, by sending
a clear message to the government of Israel that the majority of World
Jewry will not sit idly by while intolerance reigns in the Jewish
homeland. We're looking for at least 10,000 signatures. Please take an
active role as Jewish leaders in winning this battle.

Bivracha,
Rabbi Miri Gold
Kehilat Birkat Shalom, Kibbutz Gezer, Israel

Our letter in the Jewish Chronicle - full version

Dear Readers,
You may have noticed our letter in the Jewish Chronicle this week in
reply to a Rabbi Schochet piece. It was a much abridged version of the
full letter we wrote. We have published the full version below.

Sir,
We read with interest Rabbi Schochet's article on vetting your
childrens' dates but feel his list of no go Jews is by no means
comprehensive. Why stop at Reform Jews? We are sure there are a lot more
Jews we can declare treif. Perhaps your childrens' dates might come from
single parent families? That would need some checking. Or horror of
horrors actually come from Israel, where we recently learned of Orthodox
Jewish conversions disqualified by the tens of thousands. Perhaps we can
look forward to the day when Rabbi Schochet will be the only "Real Jew"
among us, or to paraphrase a memorable tabloid headline, "Will the last
Jew in Britain please turn out the lights". Perhaps as the last "Real
Jew" that honour will be left to Rabbi Schochet.

DN and CG
Co-Chairs Pro-Zion (Progressive Religious Zionists)

Invitation to meet Arzenu Director Dalya Levy

Dear Friends,

You are invited to come and meet Dalya Levy, Executive Director of
Arzenu, who is visiting the UK next week. As well as meetings with
various leaders and youth in the UK Progressive Jewish Community she is
visiting three London congregations. Please do invite your
friends/congregants/members to any events, especially the Thursday
evening event.

Thursday 26th June, 8pm, at North Western Reform Synagogue (Alyth),
"Israel: 60 Years of Zionist Challenges – Then and Now"
Dalya Levy will be looking at the relationship between Israel and the
Diaspora over the last 60 years and where it may be headed in the
future. She is the Executive Director of Arzenu, the international
federation of Reform and Progressive Zionists. ARZENU, a member of the
World Zionist Organisation, is based in Jerusalem and works with
Progressive communities in Europe, the USA, South America, Australia and
South Africa.

Friday 27th June, 6.30pm at Finchley Progressive Synagogue, Dalya will
be giving a short address during the Kabbalat Shabbat Service.

Saturday 28th June, 10.30am at Southgate and District Reform Synagogue,
where Dalya will be giving the sermon.

Israel 60

Yom Huledet Sameach
60 Years of the modern State of Israel

update 25/04/08

Dear Members,

Moadim L'Simcha to all. As Pesach draws to a close, please find
attached four articles for your interest. Sorry that it is more than
usual, it was difficult to choose only three.

1. We have the latest newsletter from the New Israel Fund, an
organisation that works to promote equality and social justice in Israel.

2. The first edition of the Chavruta newsletter since the very
recent revival of Chavruta-Chazon L'Yisrael; who describe themselves as
an independent national society for spiritual-cultural and
social-political reform. One of the members of the editorial board is
Dr. Michael Livni (from Kibbutz Lotan), one of the founders of the
Reform Zionist Kibbutzim in Israel, and one of the founders of the
Reform Zionist Movement. Dr. Livni is the author of numerous articles
on Progressive Zionism, and the author of Reform Zionism: Twenty Years –
An Educators Perspective. Of prominent interest in the newsletter is a
statement by the editorial board regarding the Israel Movement for
Progressive Judaism and Zionism.

3. An article reporting on the Pesach Seder for foreign workers,
organised by Beit Daniel, the Reform Community in Tel Aviv.

4. Finally, Rabbi Michael Marmur provides us with his Pesach
reflection on Chametz, Haredim and Liberal Democracy. You'll see what I
mean.

Don't forget that Yom Hatzmaut is fast approaching, you can still get
tickets for the ZF's gala show at the Wembley Box Office.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach,
Charlie, Daniel and all at Pro Zion