Little official response has been heard from the chareidi community following the announced decision to accept Reform and Conservative rabbis, albeit in a limited capacity.
One person already making the news is MK (Yahadut HaTorah) Rav Moshe Gafne, who as head of the Knesset Finance Committee is concerned that the funds for these “community leaders” will be at the expense of funding to frum mosdos.
“The legal system in Israel is dismantling the state’s spiritual and physical gauntlet. After trying to harm those who study torah the attempt was directed at the Jewish infrastructure. New rabbonim are not appointed, they challenge the salaries of rabbonim but suddenly, there is money for Reform and Conservative clowns. For them, yiddishkheit is a mockery and all of this with legal backing as it were”.
MK (Yahadut HaTorah) Rav Yisrael Eichler joined in, telling Kikar Shabbat the decision “is another step in the war against torah being waged by the Reform and Conservative”. He added “in one shteibel there are more people than there are Reform Jews in all of Israel”.
Eichler also commented on the considerable wealth placed at the disposal of the Reform Movement, citing their “continued court cases against giyur, against deferments for talmidei yeshivos, against funding for mosdos, demanding separation of state and religion and others. This is the result of the millions invested in the hostile media”.
Eichler stated the simple fact is the frum community does not have the funds to compete, and therefore the war in the media and judicial system is to their advantage since they have limitless funding.
“Frum Jewry however wins big time when it comes to education, strong kehillos with rabbonim who are gedolei torah, shuls that are bursting at the seams, and good midos. The Reform and those who assist doom themselves to destruction and assimilation. Their offspring intermarry. Their sanctuaries are empty and homes deserted. This is how Hashem’s enemies will vanish. A thousand high court appears will be undone but not a single letter of the holy torah will vanish” he added.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
12 Responses
To call these clargy clowns shows real disrespect for circus performers.
I believe the zionists hope the money can come from programs designed to promote Torah and benefit Orthodox Jews.
akuperma – You should stop using the term “zionist” so freely and try to understand the tefilot you say everyday.
We are all Zionist we just have different ways.
Some of us believe that despite the government, despite the Erev Rav and despite the Erev Ze’ir after the destruction in Europe Hashem gave us another chance to regroup in our land before the final redemption. We don’t always understand Hashem’s ways but it is clear to anyone with out blinders that after countless wars that were determine to be military impossible to win without the Yad Hashem, the Bracha of Hashem. The State of Israel exist today only because of the direct help of Hashem and not because of any natural laws of nature.
If the world sees the Jewish people united we will suffer a lot less. You may not like the Reform or Conservative movements, but the people are nevertheless Jewish, with a Jewish Neshama.
Yaakov Doe: Thank you, you made my day!!
What’s the matter. Are we afraid that frumkeit can’t compete against the imposters without the use of force?
Shulamit: You are correct. Reform and Conservative PEOPLE have Jewish Neshamos. Reform and Conservative clerics, who sin and cause their people to sin, DO NOT.
thanks Dovid for your well written and thought out post.I for one agree with you
It is sad when basic respect for others is not maintained. just as many consider chareidi extremists tinnokot shenishbeu, one ought be as least as charitable in the other direction. those living in Israel contribute to its success and are deserving of recognition for that.
I think that many oour posters just don’t understand democracy. Whether you like it or not- Israel is ruled according to the majority of votes .Even the Supreme Court (in Israel) can be subordinated to the majority rule. So, to all of those who keep on throwing the pips from the peanut gallery- make alyah, work with your respective orthodox parties and win the argument and the majority. The, you can decide whom to fund or not to fund. This is why the outlier groups like Neturei karta will never achieve their goal (thank HKBH) because you must engage in the political process today to succeed.
This thing with the Reform and Conservative rabbis is good. You see, government involvement in the lives of religious yidden has greatly corrupted the frum world, with different parties fighting over funds. It’s all been a tremendous chillul Hashem and has caused many Jews to hate Torah and rabbeim. As a result, most Israelis, even the ones who don’t have any interest in Conservative and Reform, view them with great sympathy, because they are up against the ‘religious establishment’ that they hate. Now, with Conservative and Reform supported by the government, they too, will be corrupted, and no longer viewed with favor.
Shulamit, in the USA most Reform people do NOT have Jewish neshamos, and the same is slowly becoming true with Conservatives.