So much has been in the news lately about the excessively non-tolerant Haredi control over religion in Israel. As I lay in bed this morning (in a jet-lag moment of early rising), I began to think that if this is the only reporting that gets out to the American Jewish public about what exists in Israel, it would be a travesty. So let me talk about some of the experiences I had with pluralism and varied religious experiences in Israel during the past 5 weeks.
1)As part of our tour we had Shabbat dinner at the home of Michelle and Nati Cohen. Michelle met my son, Yehoshua, while they were still students at the Jewish Theological Seminary in NYC. They are now neighbors in Yerushalyim. Michelle and Nati started a program called Shabbat of a Lifetime which provides home hospitality (in as many as 90 homes) for a Shabbat dinner/experience. The experience for the 30 of us on the TI tour was one of warm welcome and sheer enjoyment. It didn't matter that the Cohen family is an observant Jewish family living in Nachalaot, a neighborhood quite different from any in Lincoln, NE. The Shabbat ritual we shared around the table was the same used in Lincoln; the hospitality offered was the same that many of us offer to out-of-town guests who are in want of a Shabbat meal. As we raised our voices together in song and enjoyed one another's company, it was obvious that there was no divide between ideologies on that Shabbat.
2)For two of the Shabbatot that I was in Yerushalyim I attended services at the Masorti (Conservative) shul on Agron Street. The first Shabbat I attended with Charlie, Seth, Ken, Miriam, Mark, and Noah. The second Shabbat I was accompanied by Charlie and Jemma. The experience was quite pleasant in that setting. We used the Sim Shalom siddur just as we do at Tifereth Israel, many of the melodies were similar, the chazzan was a woman, and out of town guests were highly welcomed. In fact on each of the Shabbatot, many of us were given aliyot! The shul does not have many members considering the size of Yerushalyim's Jewish population, but it was alive and vibrant.
3)For two other Shabbatot, I was unable to walk to the Conservative shul because of a foot wound so I accompanied my son to a neighborhood shul with a mechitza that meant I sat in a separate room with a curtain in front of me. Is this the way I am used to davenning....NO! But let me add, it was a choice I made to be there because I wanted to be at shul and to hear the Torah reading (which by the way was done so that all could hear). To be sure, not many women were present, but I never received a message that my presence was unwelcome and I was greeted after services with wishes for a Shabbat Shalom.
4)That left one Shabbat (prior to the awful foot injury) when I attended a more egalitarian version of an orthodox shul with my daughter-in-law and grandchildren. Although it was an Orthodox shul, the mechitzah was down the middle allowing full view of the shaliach tzibur (the one leading services) and the ark by both the men and the women. Each side was equally filled with voices that rang out loudly. This congregation is lively and very well attended by young families and their children. Sitting side by side, no one feels as if they are an after-thought.
5)One of my most cherished aspects of being in Yerushalyim is attending the Pardes Institute's Executive Learning Seminar. ELS brings together individuals from all walks of Judaism...it doesn't matter if one is Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, or Secular...the doors are open to all to come and learn together. When we daven mincha, options are offered...traditional with a mechitzah/or egalitarian. On one day of the Seminar I actually led the conservative/reform minyan!
Pardes is an example of pluralism existing and thriving in Israel. Many of its teachers are Orthodox Torah scholars, some are even Orthodox women who have been ordained as Rabbis, some are observant transgender individuals who have found a home at the Institute, others are Reform and Conservative Rabbis and scholars who are excellent teachers and experts in their realms of study. Differences somehow have not become obstacles there, rather a reminder that diversity is appreciated and that we can all learn from one another and with one another.
So lest you think that Israel is a place where rigidity in religion is the norm, think again. Are there challenges that need to be met? Of course. Are there issues that need to be addressed so that all Jews from all walks of life will find a comfort zone within the country at all times? Yes. However, don't forget that many individuals have worked hard individually and within groups to ensure that there are places where everyone can feel at home while expressing their Jewishness in HaAretz. The key I believe is for all groups to recognize that there is not just one way to express one's innermost connection to G-d and the Jewish community. There is a multiplicity of ways all of which should be respected.
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