January 3, 2011 (Section 2) (see also Section 1)
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Editor – Joel Katz
Religion and State in Israel is not affiliated with any organization or movement.
Jpost.com Editorial www.jpost.com January 2, 2011
The traits that made Cohen so admired in his lifetime led him to want to donate his organs after death.
Unfortunately, a group of meddling rabbis blinded by fanaticism succeeded in preventing him from doing what he was convinced was the right thing. This betrayal must not be allowed to happen again.
Rabbis' meddling brings about the most awful results
By Anshel Pfeffer Opinion www.haaretz.com December 31, 2010
The secular Cohen was a proud carrier of an organ donor card. He had even tried to get all the footballers in Israel to sign one.
His family had also automatically agreed to the donation the moment they were informed that their loved one was brain dead. But then came the rabbinical steamroller.
By Jeff Barak Opinion www.jpost.com January 2, 2011
The writer is a former editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post.
Their objection will be stored on a database to which hospitals have access and their wishes respected.
At the same time, should a person who has opted out of the program need an organ transplant, he will be told that due to his objection to organ harvesting, he will not receive one.
By Yair Ettinger and Dan Even www.haaretz.com December 30, 2010
The hospital sources said that Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar personally called the family to urge them to approve the donation.
But they ultimately sided instead with the rabbis who urged them to leave Cohen intact until his heart stopped, which happened yesterday morning.
A violated will - Soccer star Avi Cohen's last wish denied
By Yossi Sarid Opinion www.haaretz.com December 30, 2010
Once again, rabbis are infringing on every aspect of our lives - even our deaths.
...Avi Cohen had a donor's card in his wallet. That was his will - to donate his organs to the mortally ill, to save those who cannot be saved with God's help alone. Now, they too will die. His will has been violated.
UTJ Litzman: More beds for mental hospitals – in gender separated wards
By Mickey Peled, Calcalist www.ynetnews.com December 31, 2010
Deputy Health Minister Yakov Litzman is beginning to implement his policy for establishing separate wards for men and women in mental health hospitals.
Safed rabbi interrogated on incitement charges
By Kobi Nahshoni www.ynetnews.com January 2, 2011
One of the rabbis who initiated a letter urging Jews not to rent homes to Arabs was interrogated by police on suspicion of incitement to racism Sunday.
Safed's chief rabbi, Shmuel Eliyahu, denied he had been involved in distributing a flier calling on religious schools not to employ Arabs after a deadly yeshiva terror attack in 2008.
Eliyahu said on Friday that he would not report to police summons.
Safed rabbi ignores police summons over alleged racism
By Jonah Mandel www.jpost.com January 2, 2011
The Reform movement’s Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) was central in Eliahu’s being prosecuted for racial incitement in 2006, following statements against Arabs. The prosecution, however, opted to withdraw the charges in return for Eliahu retracting his remarks and committing to not repeating them.
Following the recent edicts, IRAC demanded of Neeman and the attorney-general to recharge Eliahu on the grounds of racial incitement, as the deal from 2006 determined. As that has yet to happen, IRAC has filed a High Court of Justice petition to enforce that order.
Intellectuals: Firing racist rabbis not enough
By Yair Altman www.ynetnews.com January 2, 2011
Meanwhile, dozens of intellectuals, politicians and artists have urged the state to fire the municipal rabbis who had signed the racist letter.
"There is an immediate need to fire these rabbis, who are inciting and threatening to turn Judaism into racism, and see to it that they are prosecuted to the full extent of the law," the intellectuals' letter read.
Police summon Safed rabbi over 'racist' letter
By Kobi Nahshoni www.ynetnews.com December 31, 2010
"I asked them if David Grossman, Yossi Sarid, and Shulamit Aloni, who protested against the settlement of Jews in Shimon Hatzadik neighborhood, had also been interrogated, but they said no," Eliyahu explained.
The No Rent Rule: What Happened to Jewish Ethics?
By Haviva Ner-David Opinion December 29, 2010
Rabbi Dr. Haviva Ner-David is a rabbi, teacher, and writer living on Kibbutz Hannaton in the Lower Galilee in Israel.
When my family and I moved north, to Lower Galilee from Jerusalem, we decided to rent out our Jerusalem home to help finance our move.
As it so happens, we are renting to other-than-Jews. Lovely people, I should add, who are taking better care of our home than we ever did. And it never crossed our mind not to sign the lease with them when they were ready to sign.
To our shock, neighbors of ours in Jerusalem were furious with us, making some of the same claims that this statement issued by those rabbis does.
Women Reform rabbis: Stop the hatred
By Kobi Nahshoni www.ynetnews.com December 30, 2010
Dozens of female rabbis belonging to the Reform movement called out against a letter drafted by 27 wives of prominent rabbis calling on Jewish women not to date Arabs, work in places where Arabs are employed or volunteer for National Service with them.
By Elana Maryles Sztokman Opinion http://blogs.forward.com December 29, 2010
Empowerment, compassion, scholarship, balance, spirituality, independence, social awareness — these are among the values and messages that I could see wanting to urge all my friends to support. But this?
Rabbi's wife: Arabs are the enemy
In wake of anti-Arab letters, defense minister rails against 'wave of racism threatening country'
Head Reform rabbi: Israeli society is falling into a deep pit of racism
Rabbis' wives urge girls not to date or work with Arabs
Rabbis' wives: Don't date Arabs
Theater of the Absurd By Leonard Fein Opinion
Rabbi Shlomo Brody on Rabbis' Land Ban letter
Top rabbi unveils parts of proposed compromise on renting to Arabs
39 Rabbis By Rabbi Marc Rosenstein
Who needs rabbis? By Rabbi Stacey Blank
Poll: Jewish public split over call not to rent to Arabs
Poll: 48% of Israeli Jews oppose rabbis' rent edict
Rabbis' Ban Of Renting To Arabs Must Be Condemned
Rabbis' wives urge Israeli women: Stay away from Arab men
Unite, Confuse and Inspire: A Response to the Rise of Racism in Israel
Condemnation of Rabbis who Called to Boycott Poriya Hospital
Artists protest against rabbis' letter
By Nati Tucker and Lior Dattel www.haaretz.com December 31, 2010
Ranan Hartman, the 41-year-old son of Rabbi David Hartman, founder of Jerusalem's Shalom Hartman Institute, is one of those who initiated a quiet revolution in the Haredi sector, particularly in the wake of the government's large cut in child allowances in 2003.
Now, thousands of ultra-Orthodox people attend institutions of higher education before going off to join the ranks of the employed.
UJT MK Gafni: Recently passed budget best ever for Haredim
www.jpost.com January 2, 2011
MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) called the biannual budget passed last week in the Knesset "the best budget ever for the haredi community," a statement released Sunday by NGO Hiddush said.
"This budget takes care of all the financial issues of the haredi community in all fields," Gafni stated.
Finance C'tee chair UJT Moshe Gafni: Netanyahu fooled me
By Rebecca Anna Stoil www.jpost.com December 28, 2010
Despite Finance Committee chairman and UTJ MK Moshe Gafni’s fury that the IDF Conversion Bill had been advanced behind his back, the coalition was poised to pass the biennial state budget as planned on Wednesday.
By Shahar Ilan Opinion http://hiddush.org
English translation of Op-Ed in Haaretz Online December 20, 2010
Shahar Ilan is vice-president for research and information at Hiddush – Freedom of Religion for Israel.
Last week the government announced two revolutionary reforms regarding single and married yeshiva students.
One of these deals with the arrangement under which yeshiva students are granted exemptions from military service, and the other concerns a stipend for married yeshiva students, which secured cabinet approval yesterday.
It is not yet clear that these reforms will change anything, and if they do, whether it will be for the better or – what is more likely – for the worse.
Conference on the Haredi Community in a Changing Society
www.idi.org.il November 30, 2010
On Wednesday, October 13th, 2010, IDI convened a conference on "The Haredi Community in a Changing Society."
Conducted as part of IDI's Nation State research project, headed by Israel Prize laureate Prof. Anita Shapira, the conference brought together academicians, rabbis, representatives of government ministries and social welfare organizations, leaders of programs for ultra-Orthodox soldiers in the IDF, the heads of ultra-Orthodox institutions of higher education, and people who employ members of the haredi community in the work force.
Seminar on Kollel stipend bill: 'Torah, work and the Jewish state'
www.huji.ac.il December 27, 2010
The seminar will be comprised of two sessions. The first session will deal with 'Torah and work in Judaism: Past and present'.
The second session will focus on 'The kollel stipends law: Society, economy, politics and law'.
By Hannah Brown www.jpost.com December 25, 2010
Ma’aleh, which was established 21 years ago, is unique among Israeli film schools in that it is committed to exploring Jewish life through film, and because of that, its students are primarily observant Jews and those whose Jewish identity is central to their lives.
Shmuel Minkov’s documentary Alone gives a rare glimpse into the lives of three divorced haredi women.
Minkov, the father of seven, was able to persuade his subjects to be interviewed about a subject that is sometimes seen as something to be ashamed of.
Haredi trendsetter makes Chanel modest
By Miri Ben-David Livi www.ynetnews.com December 31, 2010
Miri Beilin does not own a television. The fashion designer and haredi stylist watches the fashion network only in her studio, and she's fine with that. "I live and breathe fashion, I know what today's trends are," she explains.
...Today she styles the elite haredi world, owns a bridal salon, and directs fashion studies for religious women at Miryam Fashion College.
Popular rabbi in north arrested for allegedly molesting minors
By Eli Ashkenazi www.haaretz.com December 31, 2010
A popular rabbi from a community in the north of Israel was arrested for allegedly molesting minors, it was revealed on Friday after a gag order on the case was lifted.
The rabbi, age 60, was arrested on Thursday after he requested to leave the country for a celebration of a famous rabbi. The rabbi's name and certain details about the case are still under a gag order.
Rabbi arrested on rape charges
By Ahiya Raved www.ynetnews.com December 31, 2010
A rabbi who runs a number of schools in northern Israel has been arrested on suspicion he sexually assaulted three minors, the court cleared for publication Friday.
Narrow Bridge is an independent narrative film produced by IzzyComm Motion Pictures. It is the first film of its kind to break the silence about the existence of sexual abuse in the Orthodox Jewish community and depict the effects of sexual abuse on survivors.
Click here for FILM (Complete version: 1 hr. 32 min)
Click here for FILM (Edited version: 30 min.)
Hat Tip: http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/
Haredim take over secular Afula neighborhood
By Yossi Nissan www.globes.co.il January 2, 2011
Haredi website "Ladaat" reports that Vizhnitz Hassidim have secretly bought 70 apartments in Afula in recent weeks in order to take over the secular neighborhood in the Jezreel Valley town.
The sellers did not know that the buyers were haredim, as the purchases were made in stages.
Hareidi men join IDF Intelligence
By Maayana Miskin www.israelnationalnews.com December 27, 2010
Eighty hareidi-religious men joined the ranks of IDF intelligence this week, becoming the largest group to do so in the history of the “Bina B'Yarok” (Intelligence in Green) program to bring hareidim into the corps.
VIDEO: IDF Chief of Staff Prays at Joseph's Tomb in Nablus
Including Chief Rabbis Metzger, Amar, IDF Chief Rabbi, and Rabbi of Western Wall and Holy Sites January 1, 2011
By Irit Rosenblum Opinion www.jpost.com January 2, 2011
The writer is founder and executive director of New Family Organization.
The Knesset must respect women’s judgment and the medical information they receive from doctors that help them decide. We must not be silent in the face of the false morality of the religious establishment.
Abortion is a woman’s right to control her body. It’s an important, private decision and we must respect every woman’s choice.
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef on abortion: Doctors kill the living
By Kobi Nahshoni www.ynetnews.com December 27, 2010
The rabbi, who is Shas' spiritual leader, recalled how he had convinced a woman not to have an abortion and promised her that her son would be healthy. "She gave birth to a sweet child, and today is his wedding," the rabbi said, adding that he had convinced other parents to do the same and they ended up having healthy children as well.
January 3, 2011 (Section 2) (see also Section 1)
Editor – Joel Katz
Religion and State in Israel is not affiliated with any organization or movement.
All rights reserved.
