Justice Minister (Bayit Yehudi) Ayelet Shaked responded to the statements against Reform Jewry released to the media by Minister of Religious Services (Shas) David Azoulai.
Speaking to Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) host Razi Barkai on Wednesday morning 21 Tammuz, the senior minister explained her party fought to remain in control of the Ministry of Religious Services, which fell into the hands of Shas. She explains “On the day Avigdor Lieberman announced he was heading to the opposition, PM Netanyahu gave the ministry to Shas”.
Azoulai told Galei Tzahal on Tuesday he cannot view Reform Jews as being Jewish. Needless to say leaders of the Reform Movement in Israel, New York and Washington were quick to express outrage over such statements from an Israeli cabinet minister. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu released his harsh criticism of Azoulai to AP, making certain to state the minister’s remarks in no way represents government policy.
Philanthropist and activist Jay Ruderman reportedly called on the prime minister to remove Azoulai from his cabinet if he continues making such statements. The Ruderman Family Foundation website says “Jay Ruderman is the President of the Ruderman Family Foundation, which focuses on the inclusion of people with disabilities in Israel and the Jewish community worldwide and educating Israeli leaders on the American Jewish community. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Jewish Funders Network and is a member of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Executive Committee”.
Shaked rejected Azoulai’s words, pointing out there is a very large Reform Movement in the United States and it is very active. She added when Naftali Bennett was Minister of Religious Services the ministry cooperated with the Reform Movement and she feels Israel may not dare shun the movement aside.
She says “When I look at them I see brothers and sisters – family, simply family”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
What’s wrong with this Shas guy, instead of being them mekarev, he says the’re Goyim?! Who ever heard any of the gedolim who were on the front line fighting reform, say anything like this. A Jew is Jew, invite him for shabbos, show him the beauty of real Judaism, vs his watered down version
Do some research on the Holocaust then think twice when you say “family”
Shaked is an apikorus mechallel Shabbos. She is no one to speak on this topic.
The inherent problem of anyone who is Shomer Mitsvos and wants to work with, and benefit from, the Medinah, is that most non-Palestinian Israelis, and most of Israel’s supporters elsewhere, are people who consider themselves Jews but who act like goyim, have minimal knowledge of Torah, and in many cases actually are goyim.
The only ones who don’t have this problem are non-zionist hareidim who refuse to get involved in Israeli politics and strive to be neutral in the Arab-Israeli Conflict.
First, I am withdrawing the comment I made on the first report of this incident in favor of that of kiruv rebbi to the same article.
When I was involved in the Reform movement, and in my first years in the frum velt, I thought that part of being frum was bad-mouthing anybody who was not frum. The problem with that was eventually the bad-mouthing turned against kiruv organizations, and then against anybody who was using the Artscroll Gemaras to learn. Now we have “frumies” physically attacking charedim who join the IDF or who get a paying job. This style of “frumkeit” is as insane as the chaos that constituted the French Revolution of the 1790’s in which they first beheaded the king, and then went on to behead the leaders of the original revolution as being “not revolutionary enough.”
Well, I’ve learned some legitimate Torah since then. And I’ve come to the conclusion that anyone who has to attack non-frum Jews as not being Jewish, and who attacks those who are frum for not being “frum enough” is someone who’s “frumkeit” is without any substance. Torah presents such a wealth of positive things we can stand FOR as Jews, including standing FOR influencing the non-frum to return to Torah. Mr. Azouly was way out of the halachic ballpark in his comment. He wants marriage to be according to halacha. The same halacha defines what makes someone Jewish whether that’s to Mr. Azouly’s liking or not.
Akuperma- An option io as usual without facts or basis.
The entire problem with ALL ISRAELI MKs is the lack of filter, mouth muzzle, etc. more sinas chinom comes from those hallowed halls & harms Yiddim worldwide than anywhere else.
An opinion…..akuperma