UK rabbis protest over Kotel move
RABBIS FROM Britain’s Progressive movements have protested to the Israeli Ambassador Mark Regev over the Israeli government’s abandonment of plans to upgrade the egalitarian prayer space at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
In a meeting with Mr Regev, they also expressed outrage over moves to recognise only conversions carried out in Israel under the aegis of its strictly Orthodox-influenced Chief Rabbinate.
Rabbi Danny Rich, chief executive of Liberal Judaism, said: “We represent
Progressive
Praying in the women’s section of the Kotel Judaism in the widest sense. These concerns are not just those of our members in the UK, but those of our sister movements in Israel.”
The delegation to the Ambassador included Rabbi Mark Goldsmith from the Reform movement, Masorti’s Rabbi Jeremy Gordon and Rabbi Lea Muehlstein, of the Progressive religious Zionist group Pro-Zion.
They were responding to the Israeli government’s decision to backtrack on promises to expand the egalitarian prayer space at Robinson’s Arch, south of the main Kotel plaza, which is used for non-Orthodox services.
Rabbi Goldsmith said: “When our Reform, Liberal and Masorti groups get to the space allocated for egalitarian services they discover no signposting, broken access lifts, no ability to enter from there to the Kotel plaza and a great wall which divides us from the main part of the Kotel. What message do you think that sends to us?”
According to a statement issued by the rabbis, Mr Regev recognised the need for all groups to to seek a “workable compromise” and stressed Israel was “a homeland for all Jews”.
Non-Orthodox groups have long hoped to overturn the status quo which denies recognition of Progressive or Conservative conversions in Israel.
But Orthodox politicians are lobbying for a new bill which would give a monopoly on conversions to the statecontrolled Chief Rabbinate.
Rabbi Goldsmith said: “Five thousand Israeli Jewish children are born each year whose Jewish status may not be accepted by the Israeli Orthodox Chief Rabbinate.”