2023 Issues of the Pluralist
January 10
New Year, New Threats, New Energy
We're taking to the streets.
Tags: Democracy, demonstration, rally, Override Bill, racism, homophobia, extremism, Supreme Court, gender segregation, racial incitement, discrimination, Renee Rabinowitz, Sammy Kanter, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, Basic Laws, Yariv Levin, Knesset
January 17
One Channel, Multiple Jewish Streams
A step forward for equality for Reform and Conservative Judaism.
Tags: Israel Heritage Network, Channel 14, Reform Judaism, Conservative Judaism, court victory, pluralism, discrimination, Olena, Ukraine, good news
January 25
Time to Save Israel's Democracy
The time to act is now. This is what you can do.
Tags: Democracy, Israeli democracy, Override Bill, letter-writing campaign, Knesset, Supreme Court, Attorney General, minority rights, checks and balances, protest, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yariv Levin, world Jewry, equality, pluralism
February 6
Behind the scenes, protecting Israel’s democracy.
Tags: Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee, Knesset, Rabbi Gilad Kariv, Yariv Levin, Simcha Rothman, Riki Shapira, democracy, government initiatives, legal revolution, Israeli democracy
February 13
IRAC staff joined hundreds of thousands of Israelis to demonstrate against the government’s judicial coup.
Tags: Jerusalem demonstration, Knesset, democracy, Israeli democracy, government initiatives, legal revolution, letter-writing campaign, strike
February 21
In the Name of Judaism, we will Defend Democracy
Our message, day and night.
Tags: Jerusalem demonstration, Tel Aviv demonstration, democracy, Israeli democracy, Knesset, government initiatives, legal revolution, havdalah, Supreme Court, Basic Laws, first reading
March 6
Empowering Women: This Week, Every Week
International Women’s Day should be every day.
Tags: International Women’s Day, Legal Aid Center for Olim, LACO, Supreme Court, Purim, Nur Bar-On, Maya Melitz, Leah Smolar, Behadrei Haredim, conversion, Supreme Court, gender equality, gender discrimination
March 13
And how you can join the fight to save Israeli democracy.
Tags: Democracy, San Francisco, Los Angeles, United States, letter-writing campaign, demonstration
March 20
Racism is not our Judaism.
Tags: Racism, Racism Crisis Center, RCC, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Supreme Court, Michael Ben-Ari
March 28
Fighting for Democracy: Anywhere, Anytime
Our voices can make a difference.
Tags: Democracy, demonstrations, Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Itamar Ben Gvir, Knesset, National Guard, judicial overhaul, pause, e-mail campaign
April 3
Freedom for One, Freedom for All
We are all on a journey to building a better world.
Tags: Passover, Tal, Burial Society, burial, funeral, gender discrimination, equality, freedom, democracy
April 18
Action is the Remedy to Indifference
Today, we commemorate Yom Hashoah, Holocaust remembrance day.
April 25
Israel at 75: Turning Declarations into Actions
The fact that so many people now share the importance of the values embedded in the Declaration – values we have been promoting for years – is heart-warming and inspiring.
May 2
The fight for equality is not a sprint it’s a Marathon
What’s better than a victory for pluralism, equality, and justice twenty years in the making? When it’s a victory for children and families.
May 8
There is More than One Way to Get Married!
This Lag BaOmer, as always, IRAC continues to fight for marriage equality!
May 15
Jerusalem - A city of people, stones and gold.
In a city of so many different people, a city whose namesake is peace, why is this day so closely associated with violence? IRAC's executive director reflects on this.
May 23
Your People will be My People… More than one way to become Jewish.
Unfortunately, the current state of conversion in Israel requires us to struggle constantly for the rights of Reform and Conservative converts.
May 30
Driving Racism out of Jerusalem
It moved us when Nidal, a Jerusalem taxi driver & one of the plaintiffs, came into IRAC’s offices and thanked us, telling us: “Peace starts when you struggle for justice, when you are not silent in the face of injustice, and when you fight for the things you believe in.”
June 6
IRAC Takes Pride in Marching for Equality
This year we marched not only for LBTQ rights but also to protect Israeli democracy. Many LGBTQ community rights have been achieved through the courts. If the government gets its way and weakens the courts, LGBTQ rights will be among the first affected.
June 13
Curing the Disease of Women’s Exclusion: “I attempted multiple times to explain to the HMO the illegality of erasing women… to no avail. So, I took my rage and turned it into a lawsuit. Now, I’m thrilled to share some good news with you! As a result of the suit, the HMO will monitor all of their clinics, ensuring that their posters represent women as well as men.”
June 21
Opposing Incitement - Promoting Equality: IRAC has been fighting incitement against vulnerable groups in Israel, including the Arab and LGBTQ communities for many years. Similarly, we fight ongoing incitement against our own communities and members. In response to incitement by rabbis who hold state positions.
June 28
Fighting Hate on all Fronts: From the Western Wall to the West Bank, we have seen too many violent expressions of hate. We must fight it. Religious zealotry does not only target liberal Jews. It also targets the Christian clergy and Palestinians.
July 3
It’s Unreasonable to Take Away Our Rights: The Reasonableness doctrine protects citizens from arbitrary decisions that disregard the law and threaten our rights. Its cancellation means an end to challenges of decisions in cases such as conflict of interest, corruption, or a flawed process that violate civil and human rights.
July 11
In the Trenches of the Struggle for Our Democracy
We continue to take to the streets every week to “pray with our feet” as Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel described his march to Selma with Dr. Martin Luther King 60 years ago.
July 24
This Tisha B’av let’s not come apart again! Every Tisha B’Av is a day of heshbon nefesh, of reflection, of recalling the destruction of the Temple, as a result of sinat hinam, baseless hatred born of religious extremism and intolerance. This year, however, Tisha B’Av could not be more relevant…
July 31
Celebrating Love in Challenging Times: This week we celebrate Tu B’av, a day traditionally celebrating love. It’s a wonderful occasion, especially coming just six days after Tisha B’av, which mourns the death and destruction that results from baseless hatred.
August 8
A Jerusalem Story of Democracy
IRAC Executive Director gave a speech at the most recent pro-democracy protest in Jerusalem. Read the text and listen to her speak.
August 14
This Summer’s Pandemic: Gender Segregation on Buses
IRAC, as you know, has been battling discrimination against women on public transportation for years. Now, under Israel’s extremist government this phenomenon is spreading like never before.
August 23
Between Utah & Jerusalem: Fighting for LGBTQ Rights
Both Maria and Alona now have legal immigrant status. This is a precedent setting case. It is the first time a Utah Marriage has been recognized for the purpose of citizenship under the Law of Return.
August 28
Repent & Repair - Fighting Racial Profiling
Racial profiling is neither democratic nor Jewish. In fact, the most frequently repeated teaching in the Torah is to respect the “stranger,” the non-Jew. There shall be one law for the citizen and for the stranger who lives among you (Exod 12:48-49).
September 9
Learning to Repair the World - An IRAC Vision of School
Israeli schools must truly be places where equality, kindness, and compassion for all are modeled and taught. This is the vision IRAC promotes for the benefit of all our children.
September 13
A Year to Remember, A Reality to Change: Orly Erez-Likhovski reflects on IRAC’s work over 5783 and on the work we have to do in 5784.
September 20
On Atonement & Commitment: Reflections on the Day of Atonement by Orly Erez-Likhovski. This Yom Kippur, when we reflect on the past year, we are especially troubled by those who use Judaism to justify the sins of religious extremism, racism, misogyny, and homophobia.
September 27
On Yom Kippur & the Fight for Israel’s Soul: For decades, IRAC has been struggling for Israel’s democratic soul, fighting both for religious pluralism and against gender segregation in the public sphere.
October 2
Turning Israel into a Sukkat Shalom:
How do we work hard to make Israel into a place in which everyone is sheltered by peace, equality and democracy?
October 9
Our broken hearts still pray for peace! The tragedy is enormous and the pain is beyond comprehension. We are in shock yet we know that Israel and Israelis will continue to live!
October 17
Compassion in Times of War: During this troubling war, we continue to work with compassion for all.
October 25
Bridge Over Troubled Water: It is crucial to look for hope in dark times. Amidst the horrible events seeing solidarity of Israelis and Jews worldwide, initiatives of so many people helping the hostages’ families, Jews and Arabs recognizing our shared fates, all those give us hope and strength…
October 30
Let it Be - Lu Yehi: Amid the uncertainty and concern, we have been focusing volunteering to help those in need, such as soldiers and those evacuated from their communities ; raising a clear Jewish voice against racism toward Israeli Arabs; and demonstrating solidarity with the families of the hostages.
November 7th
Change in Times of Crisis Today marks one month since that dark Shabbat. We may be at our lowest points but we seek the rainbow. We work to continue to make change under crisis and make things better. May all the victims of Oct. 7th be for a blessing.
November 15th
Protecting the Law of Return The court ruled that a widow does not lose her eligibility for citizenship under the Law of Return because her husband died. Her family connection, which binds her to the Jewish people, entitles her to make Aliyah. The Court affirmed that the Law of Return should not be interpreted narrowly according to the Orthodox halacha!
November 21
Don’t Go Off the Rails! On the dark Shabbat of October 7th, reserve soldiers began to receive emergency call-up notices. But many had problems making their way to the south, because Israel doesn’t run public trains and buses on Shabbat. The State allowed public transportation on Shabbat but then cancelled it. We say Keep the busses and trains in motion, even on Shabbat!
November 28
Protecting Women’s Rights! One of our core missions is to advocate for women’s rights. This includes fighting for gender equality and against the exclusion of women from the public sphere, and especially to protect the rights of vulnerable women, such as female immigrants who suffer domestic abuse and want to stay in Israel despite leaving their abusive partners.
December 5
Getting our Core Priorities in Order!
IRAC has been pushing for the enforcement of the core curriculum requirement for many years. In 2008, the Supreme Court accepted our petition and declared that all schools must teach secular subjects to receive funding…
December 12
Bringing in the Light: Just as on each night of Hanukah Jews the world over light one more candle to increase light in the darkest season of the year, we at IRAC fight every day to increase light and build hope for a future of equality and peace. Now more than ever, have the courage to care and help us spread the light of a shared society.
December 20
Reform Judaism at 150! Celebrating Reform Judaism’s 150th year in the US and a celebration of the connections between Reform Judaism in Israel and in the US as we strive together for an Israel of religious freedom and equality for all!
December 28
Now, at the end of 2023, it feels in some ways like 2022 was not one, but ten years ago. And we face 2024 with trepidation as the war continues. Yet not all the light has been swallowed up in darkness. IRAC continued to fight successfully for our Jewish and democratic values, and we gave a voice to so many people.