Liberal Judaism Israel Month Feb 2011

Shabbat and Weekly Readings - Week 4 Va-Yakheil

2011-02-27T11:53:00.000-08:00

For our last week of Liberal Judaism Israel Month our weekly readings are on the theme "Assembling the Whole Congregation"

VA-YAKHEIL – 22 Adar I / 26 February – ASSEMBLING THE WHOLE CONGREGATION

These readings bring together all the issues we have explored over the last month and asks us how do we personally relate to Israel and where our personal place is.

In the UK this is a very topical issue as our community decides who has a voice on Israel. At Liberal Judaism we are looking to engage as many people as possible in a conversation. Minds can't always meet but they can always learn, there are many in our communities and in the UK Jewish community who have no relationship to Israel and by encouraging everyone to find their own place we hope to involve the uninvolved and not just preach to the converted.

We hope you have enjoyed the readings. Please keep an eye on the blog for recordings and audio from some of our previous events.

Guest post - The Board of Deputies and Israel

2011-02-24T09:52:00.000-08:00

The Board of Deputies of British Jews has been the democratically elected representative body of the UK Jewish community for 250 years; effectively the Board is the UK Jewish Parliament. Every Synagogue and Jewish communal organisation elects representatives every three years to serve as Deputies. At the same time the Deputies elect a President, three Vice Presidents, Treasurer and members to four Divisions dealing with international issues, domestic issues, internal community issues and the administration of the Board itself. These Divisions help to formulate the policy of the Board.

Broadly speaking, the Board advocates for the peace and security of the State of Israel as representatives of our community to government, foreign embassies and other faith organisations. The Board has a role in expressing the Jewish community’s views on what can be one of the most divisive of issues. Attitudes towards Israel from Diaspora communities have always been complicated and with the peace process in abeyance, there has never been such a diverse range of views as to the direction in which the State should be heading. The Board’s role is to make sense of this range of views and represent as nuanced a position as possible. An impossible task I hear you cry! But that doesn’t stop us trying and we view it as a positive challenge both to present the range of opinions within our own community but also to highlight the democratic and pluralistic nature of Israeli society.

So what Israel based work do we do?

The Board implements a three-pronged Israel strategy– Public Education; Supporting Peace initiatives; and Advocacy.

Our Public Education work generally involves building and maintaining contacts with Israelis from all shades of the Israeli political spectrum and society to bring their narratives and realities to our community. This ranges, for example, from hosting Israeli government officials both from the UK embassy and from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, (most recently Ismail Khaladi, the MFA’s senior advisor on Arab citizens of Israel) to organizing meetings at the Board with such diverse civil society groups as Neve Shalom (Peace village) and IsraAID, an umbrella organization for all international Israeli humanitarian missions, such as those in Haiti, the Sudan and even Pakistan.

As well as supporting a negotiated peace for all people of the region through organizations such as One Voice, the Board promotes initiatives which are designed to inculcate the right conditions for peace. For example, the Board is a founding member of the UK Taskforce on Arab Citizens of Israel. The Taskforce promotes the prosperity and equality of Palestinian Israelis, recognising that the founding principles of the State of Israel demand such actions. Just last month, Elizabeth Harris-Sawczenko, the Board’s Director of Public Affairs, spent a week in Nazareth and the Galilee as part as of the Taskforce’s first ever Israel trip, a trip which included Lucien Hudson, Chairman of Liberal Judaism.

Our advocacy work falls into two categories – responding to concerns from the Jewish community and advancing a proactive policy.

The Board is often the first stop for members of the community when they have concerns about Israel’s treatment in the press, on TV or in exhibitions. Recent examples of this include misleading adverts in newspapers, gratuitous demonization of Israel in non-Israel related articles or imbalanced exhibitions, such as Rod Cox’s ‘Loss of Innocence’. The Board responds in a firm, nuanced and constructive way – we’re not afraid to make a noise if necessary but we also try and resolve issues in a way that wins us friends and offers a positive vision of Israeli democracy rather than a divisive negative one.

The Board also conducts a proactive Israel strategy. We support and initiate campaigns and projects to present a different paradigm to the one peddled by those who attempt to demonize and single-out Israel for criticism. This has included BUYcotts, to counter the negative boycott campaigns against the Jewish State, and the community has had no trouble in shopping to support Israel!

The Board is currently taking part in a cross-communal Gilad Shalit awareness campaign. As part of this, the Board has asked the Jewish community and the general public to wear a yellow ribbon, or add a digital ribbon to their Facebook and Twitter profiles, to show solidarity with the Shalit family. The campaign very much focuses on the human rights aspect of his captivity rather than the general political situation in the Middle East.

In the last few months the Board has been doing much to build relations with key political figures in the European Union, including a delegation to Brussels last November when we met MEPs from the three major British parties. At these meetings tougher sanctions, and implementation of sanctions, against Iran’s nuclear programme featured high on the agenda, as did a long awaited upgrade to Israel-EU bilateral trade relations.

It is not the Board role to act as an extension of the Israeli embassy or to support one or another Israeli government policy, but whilst the State of Israel remains a key part of the lives of British Jews, it will remain a key aspect of the work of the Board of Deputies.

To mark the end of Liberal Judaism’s Israel Month

2011-02-23T14:56:00.000-08:00

Liberal Judaism and Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue invite you to an

Evening with Dana Weiss

For the past five years, Dana Weiss has been the moderator of Israel Channel 2 News' flagship news programmes and a serious reporter on issues aired on prime time national TV, dealing with a wide range of topics, such as: extensive use of antibiotics, the truth behind the beauty industry, the world's epidemic, the loss of privacy, A.D.H.D., the Israeli brain drain, and more. Weiss has covered six national election campaigns: from 1996 to 2009, and led Israel's Prime Ministerial debate of the 2009 elections, anchored coverage of Israel's pullout from Gaza (2005), the second Lebanon war (2007) and the more recent Gaza war (2008). This is a unique opportunity to attend this Liberal Judaism event supported by the Israeli Embassy, London.

Date: Monday 28^th February Time: 8pm

Place: Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue, Oaklands Gate, HA6 3AA

Moderator: Lucian J. Hudson, Chairman of Liberal Judaism

Donation: admission is free but please make a donation as Rabbi Danny Rich launches LJ’s Israel Project to enable an Ethiopian child to attend the Leo Baeck First School in Haifa.

Guest Post - Yaron Shavit, Chair of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism

2011-02-22T14:20:00.000-08:00

Friends,

As the Chair of the IMPJ, I am honored and delighted that you are having Liberal Judaism Israel Month!

I had just returned from San Francisco, where the World Union of Progressive Judaism held its "Connections 2011" biennial!

It was great meeting reform committed leaders from all over the world as well as from the UK! I was given the opportunity to address the plenum speaking on The reform world and Israel!

For me it was an opportunity to speak in short about my thoughts in the matter, and I simply shared with them my thoughts being basically that as Israel is a Jewish Democratic state, it is through Democratic means that we are to influence the Israeli society and government! The Progressive movement in Israel are the best allies of the progressives around the world as we are the people on the ground fighting daily on the Tikun Olam of the Israeli society. Even those that chose: "not to be involved" or "connected" to Israel, cannot escape a simple truth that for the coming years, every Jew is and will be highly influenced from Israel and the way it is being perceived in the western world. We can and should be all proud of our ability to maintain a democracy in this part of the world and despite circumstances that are very complicated, yes we are not proud of many of the things that happen, but they will not go away, if we are not committed, together, to roll our sleeves and start working….

Happy ADAR

ירון שביט, עו"ד

יו"ר, התנועה הרפורמית - יהדות מתקדמת בישראל.

Yaron Shavit Adv.

Chairman, Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism (IMPJ)

www.reform.org.il

מסורת של התחדשות יהודית

Is Israel our Golden Calf?

2011-02-21T12:59:00.000-08:00

Is Israel our Golden Calf? Once a central metaphor for prayers, poetry, hopes and latterly ideologies for Jews throughout the ages, whether living in good times and especially when living in threatening environments; the State of Israel is a reality. It is no longer a dream. It is no longer the stuff of fairy tales that could define it as the Cinderalla struggling against the ugly sisters, or biblically of David fighting Goliath. The State of Israel is not mature but it is maturing and as with teenagers, there is often some incredible productivity balanced by some grotty behaviour.

To read the complete sermon see http://www.npls.org.uk/Sermons/New/KiTissa5771.html

And see the response at http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/is-israel-our-golden-calf

Jewish values and State .v. Synagogue and State

2011-02-21T12:57:00.000-08:00

A State of Israel “based on the principles of liberty, justice and peace as conceived by the Prophets of Israel,” will, “uphold the full social and political equality of all its citizens, without distinction of religion, race or sex,” as the Declaration of Independence states.

A State of Israel learning about, inspired by and applying Jewish values. I can buy that: Jewish values and State. Synagogues, Rabbis and State, I think we are best served without.

read the complete sermon at http://www.npls.org.uk/Sermons/New/ErevKiTissa5771.html

Guest Post - Learn, Lead, Serve -The Leo Baeck Education Center, Haifa

2011-02-20T13:11:00.000-08:00

Learn, Lead, Serve -The Leo Baeck Education Center, Haifa

Fulfilling the LJ Vision in Israel

"We are committed to a democratic and pluralistic society that respects and honours the minority in our midst…," Dani Fesler, Managing Director, the Leo Baeck Education Center.

Founded in 1938 as a kindergarten for children fleeing the horrors of Nazi Europe, the vision, values and goals of the Leo Baeck Education Center remain the same today as they were 73 years ago, rooted in the pluralistic, humanistic values of Progressive Judaism and implemented through its schools, Community Centre, 10 social outreach satellites, and Congregation Ohel Avraham synagogue.

Today, the Leo Baeck Education Center, with 2,267 pre-school to 12^th graders, including autistic spectrum students, studying in its schools, a Community Centre with 10 satellite centres serving thousands of local residents, and Congregation Ohel Avraham at its heart, offers a unique blend of formal and informal education rooted in the principles of academic excellence, human rights, community responsibility and social outreach to all of Haifa's needy populations.

Through its Community Centre Leo Baeck reaches out and serves 35,000 Haifa households, supporting and empowering disadvantaged populations, in particular, the Arab, Ethiopian, FSU, Mizrachi and special needs communities. Leo Baeck is rooted at every level in the Jewish tradition of academic excellence, social action, Tikkun Olam, ethical leadership and is absolutely committed to deepening connections with Jewish communities throughout the world.

For more information, please contact.

Carol Brauner

Director of International Development

The Leo Baeck Education Center

Haifa, Israel

Office: 972 4 8300573

Israel Mobile: 0524-75 33 75

www.leobaeck.org.il/english

Guest post - Pro Zion

2011-02-18T05:22:00.000-08:00

The next in our series of guest posts comes from UK group Pro-Zion
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Pro Zion is a Progressive Zionist organisation of over 2000 members. We think of ourselves as the Zionist movement for Progressive Jews, both Liberal and Reform, in the UK.
We aim to support progressive judaism in Israel, specifically in their work to gain equal recognition and funding from the government and to create a more pluralist, democratic and tolerant Israel.
We also aim to support Israel and Zionist activity in Progressive communities in the UK. We do this by organising events, sponsoring events and publicising events that the synagogues of our constituents run.

We send out weekly news e-mails with a selection of current articles on Progressive Jewish issues in Israel. To subscribe just send a request to prozion1@aol.com

Pro Zion was founded nearly a quarter of a century ago to give an official voice to progressive Jews in the world Zionist movement. This new organisation was by and large the brainchild of Rabbi Dov Marmur.
From humble beginnings where it had to struggle to gain official acceptance as a constituent of the Zionist Federation it has since provided many longstanding chairmen and senior officers of that organisation as well as obtaining record results in the first ever poll for delegates to the World Zionist Congress.

Through our affiliation and close ties with Arzenu the World Progressive Zionist Organisation we gain a voice in Israel putting our views forward in campaigns such as civil marriage, equal funding for progressive communities and conversion issues.

We have also helped raise money for campaigns, in conjunction with the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism. In recent years we have been proud to give donations to Israel tour bursaries of LJY Netzer and work on educational projects with the movement.

In the UK we host various speakers from our own, the American or Israeli
progressive communities to give their perspective on events or their work.

Our leadership is primarily young and volunteer led giving our organisation a unique dynamism and passion. We would love to welcome you as a member or an activist whatever your background or age. Our membership form can be downloaded here

Shabbat and Weekly Readings - Week 3 Ki Tissa

2011-02-17T15:36:00.000-08:00

Shabbat Shalom

The weekly readings for week 3 fit in with the Torah sedra of Ki Tissa. The reading is titled, "Worship or Engagement?" It looks at how we relate to Israel and if Israel is our "Golden Calf".

This is perhaps the most difficult part of the Israel discussion, do we support, criticise or both and where do we draw the line. It's been hotly debated in the UK recently and at Liberal Judaism we're looking to find a space where all are happy to openly share and discuss their views without feeling threatened. It's a tall order, if you have any ideas please leave a comment!

This week's reading

KI TISSA - 15 Adar I / 19 February – WORSHIP OR ENGAGEMENT?

All the readings are available to download on the Weekly Readings page - they are also available in editable format.

New Event Added

2011-02-17T04:58:00.000-08:00

Liberal Judaism together with Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue are delighted to announce an evening to celebrate the completion of LJ's Israel Month.

Monday 28th February, 8pm at NPLS
An Evening with Dana Weiss, the celebrated Israel Channel 2 news presenter.

Watch here for more details

Guest Post by Harvey Rose, Chair of the Zionist Federation

2011-02-13T13:07:00.000-08:00

The Zionist Federation works to connect the Jewish and non-Jewish communities to Israel by providing a dynamic variety of events, projects and resources in the UK. Our wide range of activities, which include education, training, science, culture, politics, music and art, are designed to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of Israel in all its diversity.

I wanted to share with you 2 recent events.

The first was our annual lobby day where 300 lobbyists from all over the UK, descended on Parliament in order to meet their constituency MPs and raise their concerns about the rising extremism on UK campuses, the existence of a Hamas related centre in London as well as their individual local issues of concern. In addition and in a private meeting room in the house of commons our group heard speeches from a number of Lords and MPs including Lord Sacks, Lord Monroe Palmer, Sir Alan Beith (Lib Dem), David Burrowes (Con), Louise Ellman (Lab), Nigel Dodds, (Dem Unionist), Lee Scott (Con), Theresa Villiers (Con), Luciana Berger (Lab), and Jim Shannon (DUP).

The second event was the dedication of a headstone 80 years after his death to Rev William Hechler a hitherto forgotten and unappreciated non-Jew who was a confidante of Herzl and played an enormous part in helping to establish the state of Israel. This was attended by Jewish and Christian dignitaries from the UK and Israel.

The ZF last year put on 81 events so I am not surprised how busy I am as chairman since I was appointed last October. There is so much to do and things are not getting any better as far as Israel is concerned. However we must be positive.

Thank you for allowing me to tell you about the ZF and good luck with this new idea.

Harvey Rose
Chairman.

Shabbat and weekly readings, week 2 -

2011-02-11T02:04:00.000-08:00

Shabbat Shalom

The weekly readings for week 2 fit in with the Torah sedra of T'tzavveh. The reading is titled, "Who has the power?" It looks at where the centre of Jewish life is, Israel or The Diaspora?

T’TZAVVEH – Adar I / 12 February – WHO HAS THE POWER?

All the readings are available to download on the Weekly Readings page - they are also available in editable format.

Tefilla & Limmud

2011-02-09T03:46:00.000-08:00

Rabbi Ofek Meir and Carol Brauner from the Leo Baeck Education Centre, Haifa, led a fascsinating text study last night at Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue. Ofek drew on the centrality of prayer and our study of texts to tease out our relationships with the other, our fellow Jews and with Israel. An inspirational evening!

LJY-Netzer - guest post by Robin Moss

2011-02-08T12:57:00.000-08:00

We are delighted that our second guest post comes from Robin Moss, Movement Worker for LJY-Netzer. They are a big part of Liberal Judaism's relationship to Israel, not just because they are the future, or because they educate so many young people about Israel, but because they are at the forefront of ideological discussion in the movement.

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LJY-Netzer is the youth movement of Liberal Judaism. We provide activities for young people aged 8-23 from all the LJ synagogues. The Netzer bit of our name belies our deep attachment to Israel – it stands for Noar Tzioni Reformi (worldwide Reform Zionist youth). We have been a snif (branch) of Netzer since the early 1990s, and it gives us a link to Israel and the rest of the Jewish world.

This month, LJY-Netzer is busy as ever running Israel activities. Our big focus is the February half-term, during which we are running four events. Two are Shabbat sleepovers for ages 8-11 year olds and 12-13 year olds, at The Liberal Synagogue Elstree and Finchley Progressive Synagogue respectively. Both will, like all of our events, have elements of Israeli education and culture incorporated into them. It is important for us that our participants see Israel as more than a political conundrum or a newsreel of war. It is a lively, exciting, vibrant place of music, the arts, food, youth culture and so on. We try to bring some of all of these with us onto all events.

We are also running a trip to Dublin for 14-15 year olds, and we will be delighted to be joined by Liberal Judaism’s Shlicha Dana Friedman and her relative Omer. Omer is soon going into the army for his national service, and will be leading a session talking to the young people about what it is like to grow up as a teen in Israel. We are so lucky to have Dana working with us day to day, ensuring that Israel is always at the forefront of our mind, and Omer will bring a young person’s perspective that will challenge and inspire our members.

Finally, we are running a hadracha (youth leadership) training seminar for our members at the end of school. Some of them will be leading Kadimah, our summer camp, later this year. We will be discussing with them their role as Israel educators, encouraging them to present balanced, thought-provoking views whilst being clear about how our Liberal Judaism values play out when we think about Israel. This year, for example, we have picked as our charity of the year the ARDC (African Refugee Development Centre), a Tel Aviv-based charity that works with the tens of thousands of new refugees, mostly from East Africa, who have arrived in Israel in the last ten years. For us, our Judaism commands us to “love [the stranger] as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 19:34), and we live this out in 2011 by supporting with our money and (on our many trips to Israel) our time this most worthy cause.

Israel is a central feature of our ideology, and we are proud to support the Liberal Judaism Israel Month. Of course, in LJY-Netzer, every month is Israel month, but we hope that this Adar Rishon will focus all of us on this most fascinating, remarkable, complicated, engaging, frustrating, vivacious and stimulating country.

Guest Post by IRAC - A Few People Making a Big Difference

2011-02-06T13:44:00.000-08:00

Our first guest post this month comes from Rachel Canar, Director of Development for the Israel Religious Action Center

A Few People Making a Big Difference: Champions for Pluralism, Tolerance, and Equality in Israel

February 3, 2011

Liberal Judaism doesn’t get enough credit in Israel. While there may not be many liberal congregations in Israel, it’s remarkable how enormous our contributions to Israeli society are. Since 1987, we at the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), the public and legal advocacy arm of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism, have brought to the forefront major religion and state issues in Israel. IRAC has set major precedents not only in working toward recognition of the Liberal, Reform and Conservative Movements in Israel, but also to advocate for our progressive Jewish values. We achieve our mission to promote pluralism, tolerance, and equality in Israel through exemplifying these ideals, often partnering with the Conservative Movement, Orthodox groups, other civil rights organizations, religious, secular, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze—all kinds of Israelis—to bring about these changes.

IRAC is an example of the power that a small community in Israel has to affect positive change on a national level. In the past year alone, we led thousands of Jews and leaders of major Jewish organizations in an international campaign to stop the Conversion Bill that would hand all matters of conversion in Israel over to the ultra-Orthodox dominated rabbinate. Just last week, our lawyers won a landmark decision in the Supreme Court that declared the gender segregated buses illegal. IRAC also succeed in the Supreme Court to get roads paved to Bedouin schools in unrecognized villages so that children have safe access to schools. We triumphed in gaining municipal funding for the Jerusalem Open House, an LGBT community center, overcoming discrimination from the city after years of withholding funding that other community centers receive. With this all in the past year alone, IRAC demonstrates that the marginalizing attitude towards liberal Judaism doesn’t match up to our immense accomplishments and contributions to Israel.

Let us trust in the individual - sermon by Rabbi Aaron Goldstein

2011-02-05T00:50:00.000-08:00

The month of Adar Rishon that begins tonight and continues this year through the rest of February, was designated by Liberal Judaism as a time to focus on our relationship with Israel. Adar Rishon is an additional month in a lunar leap year and therefore we are not distracted by any Jewish festivals. However, the world does not stand still just because the Jews have a leap year and world events mean that I could not focus solely on Israel tonight. Events are of course on Israel’s doorstep and so we need not ignore Israel from our thoughts, in fact I think it is rather pertinent.

Today, Egypt is experiencing a ‘day of departure,’ a rally attempting to oust Hosni Mubarak from power. The scenes in Egypt, Yemen, Jordan and Syria over the past weeks from the moment that we realised that the events in Tunisia were not isolated have captivated us. Individuals have realised that the power they felt exerted upon them was no longer a match for the power of individuals. Tahrir Square was not going to be Egypt’s Tiananmen Square. It seems that the military, after wavering at one moment are now ensuring the right to peaceful protest. May this atmosphere remain through to the end of the protest.

There is so much speculation around the world, and naturally also in Israel for much depends on the outcome. Yet, we will not know the outcome for years to come. Democracy will take a long time to properly embed itself in Egypt. Political parties and leaders will come and go as the wheat is sifted from the chaff. After years of dictatorship and oppression, there is no organized opposition but there is an organized opposition of individuals. Although joined by Muslim Brotherhood members and other opposition activists, the crowds have avoided political or religious slogans that could define and divide them, despite journalists sometimes wanting to amplify a solo voice.
When a small band of Wafd members – Egyptian nationalists - joined the protest and shouted their particular slogans, they were shouted down: "This is popular," the cry went up. The Brotherhood's "Islam is the solution" slogan has also been largely absent from banners, as have shouts of "Allahu akbar" or "God is great", often used in demonstrations. A unification of individuals campaigning for one thing, the ousting of the man who epitomizes one way of life and the introduction of another that will let them each have their say.

I grew up with two books on Israel that I would come back to time and again. The pictures, the design, the people and the content arrested me. Before I went to Israel I had fallen in love with the ‘Peoples of Israel.’ This book of photographs depicted the Peoples of Israel in 1977 at home, at worship, at work and at leisure. It took me a while to appreciate that Sephardim and Ashkenazim, Hasidic and secularists, Sabras and Central Asians, Bene Israel from India, Yemenites and Moroccans, survivors of the Holocaust and political émigrés of various eras from Eastern Europe and then the Soviet Union, they all were Jewish! Well not all, because there were Samaritans and Arabic-speaking Christians (Greek Orthodox and Greek Catholic), Moslems, Bedouin and Druze. Not all Jewish then, but a beautiful plurality and diversity that went to make up the State of Israel.

The other book was ‘Peace,’ an account of the remarkable process from the signing of the cease-fire agreement between Egypt and Israel at kilometre 101 on the Suez-Cairo road in 1973 to the signing of the Peace Treaty in Washington on 26^th March 1979. The bold words on the spine, Peace, שָׁלוֹם, السلام written in their respective languages, drew me to the story within. An episode of history, full of despair and hope, trust and anger ended with a peace that has held despite the attempts by a few do derail it.

These books significantly shaped my relationship with Israel. I grew-up in love with Israel and the Peoples of Israel and I grew-up in love with Peace, שָׁלוֹם, السلام and the belief that it is possible to make this dream real. The ensuing years since 1979 have certainly been rocky and at times my faith has been shaken but I have never fallen out of love with Israel, the Peoples of Israel, or with Peace, שָׁלוֹם, السلام. Such a love is active and the knowledge that there will be peace for all the Peoples of Israel, those who will be the Peoples of Palestine and indeed the Peoples who will be their neighbours, is a constant motivation to bring such a time nearer.

Liberal Judaism passionately upholds the value and right of individual autonomy; to be a guide to individuals endeavouring to reconcile tradition with modernity; and to inspire lives actively lived according to the prophetic ideal of doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbly with God. This is why in Israel, we channel our efforts to key partners, especially the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism, its social action arm, the Israel Religious Action Centre, and the Leo Baeck Education Centre in Haifa; organisations that at their core work to create an environment in which every individual citizen of the State of Israel is accorded their full rights and are nurtured to be active participants in furthering goodness.

On the streets of Cairo, Alexandria and every city, town and village of Egypt, there are individuals who make up the Peoples of Egypt. Democracy allows the individuals their voice. Shame on those whose only desire is to see it and the individuals who will create it fail. I do not believe that there are democratic nations that seek war for its peoples. There are nations with failed democracies who slide into war and conflict, often civil war, but that is only when individuals or small groupings seek to cease power from the people, denying pluralism and individuality. Otherwise, economic and social sense provides a simple logic that says that we will do better at peace with our neighbours than at war.

Do not fear democracy in Egypt, only those who seek to pervert it - and they are few. Believe as Mahatma Gandhi did that, “You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” Now is a time to acknowledge that those who are good utterly outnumber those who are evil. Let us come out and support them. Let us take the risk to be active and joyful in our support of humanity. The Psalmist warned of putting trust in humanity. Yes be warned when we don’t have the humility of trust in God, a belief that urges us to create a humanity that celebrates is diversity and thus is a humanity to trust.

May we live to recite in our lifetimes, as Menachem Begin did on the north lawn of the White House, the words of Psalm 126. And may all Peoples of Israel, Egypt, Palestine and the nations of the world recite in their own particular words its spirit:

A song of ascents

When the Eternal One restores the fortunes of Zion

We see it as in a dream

Our mouths shall be filled with laughter,

Our tongues with songs of joy.

Then shall they say among the nations,

“The Eternal One has done great things for them!”

The Eternal will do great things for us

And we shall rejoice.

Restore our fortunes, O God,

Like watercourses in the Negev.

They who sow in tears

Shall reap with songs of joy.

Though he goes along weeping,

Carrying the seed-bag,

He shall come back with songs of joy,

Carrying his sheaves.

Amen

Shabbat Shalom, Chodesh Tov and welcome to LJ Israel Month

2011-02-04T01:30:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons we chose February for LJ Israel month is that it is also the Jewish month of Adar, which starts today. We are used to leap years in our everyday calendar but this year is a leap year in the Jewish calendar. Rather than getting an extra day we get an extra month, Adar sheni (next month). As a result Adar is a month with no chag (Jewish festival) and a month that almost coincides perfectly with the four Shabbatot in February. It seemed a ready made opportunity to create our own month long festival.

We have given each week a theme and Rabbi Elizabeth Tikvah Sarah from Brighton and Hove Progressive Synagogue has prepared some readings and study pieces for each Shabbat. This week the Torah portion is T'rumah so we start with the theme "Diversity and Plurality". You can read the reading below.

T’RUMAH – 1 Adar I / 5 February – DIVERSITY AND PLURALITY

Shabbat Shalom - please check back over the weekend for the first of our guest posts.

Introduction from Daniel Needlestone, Officer for Israel and the Diaspora

2011-02-03T04:09:00.000-08:00

LJ Israel Month is the first coordinated Israel activity since I took on the role of officer for Israel and the Diaspora and I am really excited with the way it has shaped up. Liberal Judaism is such a wonderfully diverse movement that our original plan of a national day couldn't do justice to this. My aims of this month are to showcase a snapshot of activity in the movement, to engage individual members in their own personal journeys, and to inspire Liberal Judaism's communities with ideas on how they can involve Israel in their work. This month is very much the start of a process of a deeper and richer engagement from our movement.

We have some really big names appearing including Rabbi Ofek Meir and Anat Hoffman with more to be confirmed. We have online events for those who don't live close enough to attend the physical events. We have weekly readings for use in synagogue services or at home and we will be using our blog to showcase some of the organisations that work with Israel on a daily basis.

Keep checking back to make sure you don't miss out on great blog posts from organisations such as the Israeli Movement for Progressive Judaism (IMPJ), Arzenu, the Zionist Federation, Pro-Zion and Leo Baeck Haifa, plus many more.