Words from Rabbi Miri Gold
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Update from Wednesday, June 17, 2009 High Court of Justice hearing

The High Court of Justice severely criticized the State, and that after four years of the petition pending, the State still has not given an accepted response. The proposal included in the Committee’s report also does not provide a solution to the problem, because it discussed the general topic of the rabbis in regional councils instead of giving a practical solution as the state was required to do.

The State’s attorney stated that while the State is prepared to consider providing financial support to the Reform Movement, the State will not create a specific post for non-Orthodox rabbis in regional councils. The attorney claimed that it is too symbolic for the State to directly fund non-Orthodox rabbis, rather he raised the possibility of giving general funding to non-Orthodox communities to be distributed as the community sees fit.

We replied that we are not arguing about the symbols, but we insist on our right to receive support in our religious and rabbinical activities and we oppose to the suggestion that the State will give general financial support that can be changed or revoked at any time instead of allocating an official post.

At the end of the hearing, the court gave the State a period of 4 months, during which negotiations will take place between us and the State regarding the parameters according to which non-Orthodox services will be funded.

We will insist on intensive negotiations with the State, and if we do not reach an agreement, we will return to court.

“We are pleased with the Court’s attitude, which implicitly told the State that it is not possible to accept the continued discrimination of non-Orthodox rabbis.”
– IRAC Attorney Orly Erez-Likhovski

“Following the conversion classes case, it is quite clear that the State has a lot of homework to do in order to create the system for which non-Orthodox congregations will be financially supported. We look forward to fruitful discussions with the State as was decided in today’s hearing.”
– Attorney Einat Hurvitz, Director of the Legal & Public Policy Department

Photo (from left to right): Atty. Einat Hurvitz, Rabbi Miri Gold, David Leichman, Atty. Orly Erez-Likhovski

 “Our challenge is not to drain the swamps anymore [like the pioneers before Israel’s creation]. It is to preserve not only the physical land, but the nature of the democratic Jewish state so that it will be a beacon for Jews around the world.”

“One of the challenges is to get people to have a basic love of Israel, and then you can be critical [of Israel]. And I think that’s what we find in Israel with the Reform Movement and the Israel Religious Action Center; we start with this assumption that Israel has to be democratic, and that we’ll do whatever we can to make sure that democracy exists, but  not just any old way. It has to exist as a democracy, as a place where Judaism can flourish in many different ways.” 
                                  -Rabbi Miri Gold, 2006 interview 

 

IRAC – Seeking Equal Government Funding for Liberal Rabbis
The Case of Rabbi Miri Gold

(IRAC versus the Ministry of Religious Services)

Abstract:
      Opened: September 2005
      Decision: Pending
      Issues: Women’s Rights, Reform Rights, Government Allocations

Facts of the Case:
Rabbi Miri Gold has served as the Rabbi of Birkat Shalom congregation in Kibbutz Gezer since her ordination as a Reform Rabbi by the Hebrew Union College in 1999. Sixteen other local rabbis serve the area of the Gezer regional council and receive a State salary. Rabbi Miri Gold, who serves the entire region and is supported by the Municipality of Gezer, is not recognized by the State because she is a Reform rabbi.

The Issue:
While the government financially supports Jewish institutions in Israel, it does not recognize all streams of Judaism. As a result, only Orthodox Judaism receives government allocations for its buildings, rabbis, and educational programming. This leads to the unequal treatment of non-Orthodox Judaism.

Case Updates:

IRAC attorneys presented this case several times before the Supreme Court, with the court repeatedly granting extensions to the State. After the last hearing in the end of 2009, the Court was quite frustrated, as the state did not have any new arguments. The Justices made it clear that if they had to rule, they would rule in favor of Rabbi Gold. This would of course set a major precedent, which would then compel the Ministry of Religion to distribute funds to Reform and Conservative rabbis in the future.

IRAC’s attorneys and the leadership of the IMPJ have been in significant negotiations with the State, and they have made it clear that they could be prepared to pay the salaries of non-Orthodox rabbis recognized by their municipalities, but only from the Ministry of Culture Budget and not from the Religious Affairs budget, where the salaries of Orthodox rabbis come from.

This case is still pending and there has been no new hearing. Although the State is willing to budget for non-Orthodox activities, it is unwilling to recognize the position of a non-Orthodox rabbi. Also they have not yet presented IRAC’s lawyers with the details of their plan. The State is asking for another objection and IRAC is rejecting it. IRAC’s lawyers would prefer to return to the courts, armed with the fact that the state has still not presented a solution.  This case could be a huge victory for the non-Orthodox movements in Israel. In view of the states lack of response in IRAC’s parallel case regarding city rabbis, a new petition will be filed on behalf of all Reform rabbis in Jerusalem.

 
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