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IMPJ Newsletter
IMPJournal - Febuary 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Address from the Reform and Progressive Leadership in Israel
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For Purim only: |
Israel is alive with the sound |
Officially, an important
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From Jerusalem to Berlin: |
IMPJ positions and Guidelines |
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Israel's Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services allocated a grant of NIS 200,000 (over $53,000) to support the educational activities, social action and humanitarian aid of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism. In principle, the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism was clearly a worthy candidate for this support. In practice, it has been a years long struggle for us to gain the recognition of qualification for state funding. This grant represents a significant accomplishment, and adds to the momentum of our achievements in working with varied government ministries and local regional authorities.... .gif)
For the first time, Israel and Germany's Reform youth movements (Noar Telem and Netzer Germany, respectively) will participate in a new transcontinental forum for high school seniors to explore the theme of "Israel-German relations through the media." The 14-day seminar, initiated by Netzer Germany, will begin in Israel on March 24 and will enable the high school juniors and seniors to gain first-hand insight and the perspective that is missing from the German media's portrayals of Israel.... .gif)
In recent months, public discourse in Israel and Jewish communities around the world has again focused on the character of the site of the Western Wall and the religious and cultural nature of the activities conducted there. This discourse has been the response to two events in the aftermath of the activities conducted by the "Women of the Wall:" Nofrit Frankel's was subject to a police investigation on Rosh Hodesh Kislev (November) after she put on a talit in the women's section of the Kotel, and Anat Hoffman was summoned for a criminal investigation... Address from the Reform and
Progressive Leadership in Israel
Dear Friends,
An ancient Talmudic legend tells of two sages who walked along the Ginosar valley, near the Kineret as the sun was rising. One of the sages pointed to the skies, which were slowly brightening and said to his friend, "Thus was the redemption of Israel in the days of Mordechai and Esther. Step by step, the darkness gave way to light, until the skies were completely bright. This legend is the basis for the connection made between Esther and "Ayelet Hashachar" (the rays of dawn)—the first moments of daybreak after the night has ended.
A few days ago, a new IMPJ congregation was officially established in Even Yehuda, a town named to honor Eliezer Ben Yehuda, who revitalized the Hebrew language. The congregation chose to call itself "Shachar," in honor of the first Hebrew newspaper, Hashachar., ha in which Ben Yehuda's first article was published, on the eve of Purim. The newspaper's founder and editor was Peretz Smolskin, a leader of the Enlightenment movement in Eastern Europe and a significant advocate for the renewal of Judaism as a crucial element in countering assimilation.
The establishment of the Hashachar Congregation on the eve of Purim is not the only encouraging harbinger in recent developments at IMPJ. The fact that dozens of locales throughout Israel will celebrate Purim in IMPJ congregations throughout Israel is the best testimony to the growing light of IMPJ. The Modiin municipality's decision to hold its central Purim megilla reading together with the IMPJ Yozma congregation is also meaningful. And we also can take justifiable pride in the many Purim events initiated by IMPJ in kibbutzim throughout Israel. All of this demonstrates IMPJ's success in expanding its impact by providing services to communities throughout the country.
There have also been many dark moments for all who believe in the values of pluralism. We learn from the Talmudic legend that light does not overcome darkness at once, but slowly, step by step. In honor of the holiday of Purim, we share with you the stories that remind us that despite the tremendous challenges we face, the rays of dawn await us.
Happy Purim and enjoy the reading of the Megilla,
Rabbi Gilad Kariv
Executive Director
Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism
For Purim only: Light-hearted liturgy
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Once a year, Rabbi Yehoram Mazor, Director and Editor of The Center for Innovative Liturgy, takes unorthodox liberties with sacred texts. Below is the English translation of the Kiddush he wrote for Purim. You can try this at home; please follow the stage directions:
[Use both hands to hold up two cups of wine and recite]
It was evening and it was morning on Purim Day, and water was vanquished from heaven and earth. On Purim Day, Lot finished all of the jugs that he drank, and he imbibed on Purim Day from all of his jugs. Lot blessed Purim Day and sanctified the hour, in honor of all alcoholic beverages he chose to drink. With your good grace, party animals, teachers and imbibers: Blessed are you and blessed is the name of the vintner. Blessed are you who sold us all wines and enabled us to imbibe all the alcoholic beverages that make our cups runneth over. May you lovingly grant us drinks for merriment and the alcohol of joy, may this Purim be the hour of our drunkedness, on the fourteenth of the month it is forbidden to drink water.Because you enabled us to quench our thirst from the fruit of the vine, and with the beverages of your jugs you granted us the merriment and joy to imbibe.Blessed are you and blessed is the name of the seller of alcohol and wines. Blessed is the one who quenched our thirst and enabled us to reach this day in our inebriated state!
[And all the nation responded: LeHaim!]
[And if you are able to recite the Hebrew in the link below, you have not fulfilled the requirements of the Kiddush above]
Israel is alive with the sound of
Reform cantorial music
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The newly established Israeli Reform Cantorial Forum is sounding a new note in advancing community prayer in congregations throughout Israel and creating a much needed resource for study and exchange among cantors and leaders of prayer services (shlichei tzibbur).
The Forum's first meeting was held in January, attended by nearly 20 participants, who all look forward to building their capacities and serving the needs of new and established Reform congregations and praying communities throughout Israel. The Forum is also seeking to strengthen ties with North America and the Reform movement's American Conference of Cantors and the Guild of Temple Musicians.
The Forum's Chair is Evan Cohen, Cantor of Kehilat Har-El in Jerusalem, who is enthusiastic about "creating a coherent voice—pun intended—for cantorial music in Israel."
Rabbis, Cantors, Song Leaders and everyone interested in learning more are invited to contact Cantor Evan Cohen (cantorevan@gmail.com). Your thoughts and input on possible collaborations are warmly welcomed. In principle, the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism was clearly a worthy candidate for this support. In practice, it has been a years long struggle for us to gain the recognition of qualification for state funding. This grant represents a significant accomplishment, and adds to the momentum of our achievements in working with varied government ministries and local regional authorities. This grant offers much welcome funding and the moral victory of state recognition of the important work of the IMPJ in Jewish education, advancing social action in diverse communities throughout Israel (the "Kehillot Tzedek" project) and humanitarian aid for Israelis in economic distress ("Keren BeKavod"). The grant awarded this month was the outcome of an interministerial government decision to allocate state funding to Israeli nonprofits whose income was diminished by the world economic crisis. The Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism has indeed borne the impact of the crisis, which has affected NGOs in Israel and throughout the world.
Officially, an important step forward
Israel's Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services allocated a grant of NIS 200,000 (over $53,000) to support the educational activities, social action and humanitarian aid of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism. .gif)
Packing food packages for needy
From Berlin to Jerusalem:
Israeli and German Reform youth will convene
For the first time, Israel and Germany's Reform youth movements (Noar Telem and Netzer Germany, respectively) will participate in a new transcontinental forum for high school seniors to explore the theme of "Israel-German relations through the media."
The 14-day seminar, initiated by Netzer Germany, will begin in Israel on March 24 and will enable the high school juniors and seniors to gain first-hand insight and the perspective that is missing from the German media's portrayals of Israel. They will visit sites throughout the country, from Israel's official media headquarters to the rough-and tumble tsouth Tel Aviv and Jerusalem's Old City. On the second leg of the trip, the Noar Telem high school students will become acquainted with Germany through the eyes of their peers, members of the Netzer Reform youth movement in Germany. A key component of the seminar will be the opportunity for the youth to become acquainted with their respective home lives and landscapes. The Passover Seder will be celebrated in Israel, with the Netzer Germany students to be hosted in the homes of the young Israeli members of Noar Telem. 
Altogether, 30 high school students will participate, divided evenly among the Israeli and German Reform youth movements. All the participants were recruited through a thoughtful process, which included an interview and a written application.The seminar will be documented in a daily blog, a film will be made by one of the Israeli students, a hobbyist videographer, and the experience will also be shared in a photo exhibit of this journey of discovery. It is anticipated that this first-time seminar will be a springboard for future encounters between Reform youth from Israel and Germany, and other countries throughout the world.
The Western Wall and the Jewish People: The Perspective
of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaird
Israel's Western Wall has been the subject of fervent public discourse in Israel and Jewish communities throughout the world in light of events which took place this winter in the aftermath of the prayers conducted at the Kotel by the "Women of the Wall:" The position of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism is expressed below. This statement is the outcome of in-depth and thoughtful discussions of the issues by Israel's Reform movement leaders and the steering committee of the Israel Religious Action Committee.
IMPJ positions and Guidelines regarding the "Western Wall" - click here to download
We welcome your thoughts and perspectives and invite you to share your views with us. Please write to info@impj.org.il.gif)
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