Reformed American Jews Versus Orthodox Israeli Jews

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                     

Jews of Israel, a Jewish state, and the Jews of the USA, are often at odds when it comes to backing Israel's decisions.  President Biden has gone along with the Jews in the USA more likely than not, with Donald Trump being very popular in Israel for the decisions he has made that has benefitted Israel.  Donald has turned over the Israel file to his son-in-law, a modern orthodox Jew who married his daughter and converted to Judaism.  For instance, Israeli Jews realize the importance of Judea and Samaria, land others call the West Bank. They've lived through the Holocaust, knowing how important a place like Israel is and what it means to their families.  So many of their ancestors were wiped out by the Nazis. 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the J Street National Conference, Dec. 4th, 

2022.  J Street is not clearly backing Israel's government, but their own ideas of how 

things should be run.  J Street seeks a middle path to the Gaza problem but as yet hasn't

come up with anything .  The feelings between Israel and J Street have

 not been like Israel and AIPAC.  According to Nathan Guttman,

 "J Street and its supporters have never made a secret of their

 opposition to Netanyahu and his policies."  AIPAC stands for

 "The American Israel Public Affairs Committee .  Blinken is Jewish.  In 2002, 

Blinken and Evan Ryan were married in an interfaith ceremony officiated by a rabbi 

and a priest at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington, D.C. They have two 

children. Blinken is fluent in French, and left-handed.

AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster 

Israel is a refuge for Jews all over the world.  Russians who entered had no knowledge of Hebrew as it was against the law to study it.  They had no knowledge other than being called a Jew.  Many brought their gentile wives and there was no prophet standing there saying to leave their spouse.   

Let's look at the differences in Judaism for the two countries. 

Religion in Israel (2016)^[1]

  Judaism–Hiloni (33.1%)

  Judaism–Masorti (24.3%)

  Judaism–Dati (8.8%)

  Judaism–Haredi (7.3%)

  Islam (18.1%)

  Christianity (1.9%)

  Druze (1.6%)

Israel was created as a way to keep Judaism alive.  Naturally, it is an Orthodox state with two heads of state Rabbis, one for the Ashkenazim  and the other Sepharim.  

• Ashkenazi: Represents Jews with backgrounds in Eastern and Central Europe 
• Sephardic: Also known as the Rishon leZion, represents Jews with backgrounds in the Middle East and North Africa 

The two chief rabbis share responsibility for the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, which oversees many aspects of Jewish life in Israel, including: Marriage and divorce, Burial rites, Rabbinical courts, Kosher certifications, and Jewish conversions.The chief rabbis also represent the state of Israel locally and internationally, and sometimes comment on current events.   As of July 1, 2024, Israel was without chief rabbis for the first time in the country's 76-year history. The Religious Services Ministry was unable to hold an election due to disagreements over the makeup of the election body. 

Israel's Jewish population identifies as Orthodox, with only a small percentage considering themselves Conservative or Reform.

• Rabbi David Lau—the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi
• Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef—the Sephardi Chief Rabbi  

 Around 50% of Israeli Jews identify with Orthodoxy, while only around 2% identify as Conservative and 3% as Reform. The chief rabbis also represent the state of Israel locally and internationally, and sometimes comment on current events.    

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and Housing Minister Yitzhak 

Goldknopf, right, arriving for a cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's 

Office in Jerusalem on September 27, 2023. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Ultra-Orthodox lawmakers criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night after he issued a statement before the end of Shabbat on US ratings agency Moody’s downgrading Israel’s credit.

 The other 45% of Jews are not identified with a denomination.

In 2022, 45% of Israel Jews self-identified as "secular"; 10% as haredi (ultra-orthodox); 33% as 

masorti (lit. 'traditional'); and 12% as dati (lit. 'religious' or 'orthodox', including religious zionist).   

                                                     *****************

                                      Democratic Senator Jared Moskowitz of Florida 

 When is 

@JeremyBenAmi

gonna change the name to GazaStreet.

Quote

J Street

@jstreetdotorg

·

Feb 16

On Rafah, J Street President says, “It’s important for the president to reiterate that

 the United States will not and should not provide Israel with blanket immunity.” I join

Jared in not being a J Street fan.     

According to the Pew Research Center, as of 2020, there are approximately 7.5 million Jews in the United States, which represents about 2.4% of the total population; within this group, roughly 37% identify as Reform, 17% as Conservative, and 9% as Orthodox.   The USA has no  chief Rabbi.                          

                                                               *********

According to the 2022-2023 Greater Portland, Oregon Jewish Community Study, 23% of the Jewish population in Greater Portland and Southwest Washington identify as Reform. The study also found that:

• 52% of the Jewish population do not identify with any particular denomination
• 8% identify as Conservative
• 5% identify as Orthodox
• 12% identify with other denominations 

Reform Judaism is mainly centered in North America, with the Union for Reform Judaism being the largest constituent in the United States and Canada. 

This means that  we have Orthodox=5%; 

Conservative=8%; 

+ Reform=23% =5+8+23=36%

 52% Jews, no denomination + 36% in denominations. =88%

12% unknown denominations as well as 88% others=100%

"I'm a Portland resident. Kesser Israel is the only Orthodox shul with regular minyan. There are two Sephardic Shuls, one Spanish and Portuguese and one more Israeli/Misrachi, but they only really meet on Shabbos. Chabad really loves the Rebbe here. There is a Kollel that does classes and runs in partnership with NCSY and our local kosher agency. There is one Kosher restaurant, at the JCC. We have a kosher grocery store. There are mainly people from age 30 and up with families. It is a mix of Traditional/BT/MO/Yeshivish. The community is quite small, but has been experiencing growth. I honesty wouldn't consider moving unless your married or can afford traveling to date. Seattle has a larger community that you might want to look into. Edit: PM me if you have any additional questions."

Now, what's the difference between Orthodox and Reform?  What's the similarity, first.  They both believe in One G-d, and that G-d  is not a human.  We believe that the Greeks believed in half-gods; men that had a parent that was one of their many gods and one parent that was human.  We don't believe that.  Adherents of Judaism do not believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah nor do they believe he was the Son of God. In the Jewish perspective, it is believed that the way Christians see Jesus goes against monotheism, a belief in the absolute unity and singularity of God, which is central to Judaism; Judaism sees the worship of a person as a form of idolatry, which is forbidden.  Therefore, considering Jesus divine, as “God the Son”, is forbidden.  I think most people are aware of this.

Orthodox Judaism and Reform Judaism differ in their views on the Torah, their approach to tradition, and their practices: 

• Torah

  Orthodox Jews believe the Torah is the word of God that must be obeyed literally. Reform Jews believe the Torah is a human attempt to understand God and their relationship with the world, and that Judaism should be adapted to contemporary moral values. 
• Tradition

  Orthodox Judaism adheres to traditional Jewish law as interpreted by rabbinic authorities over the centuries. Reform Judaism challenges the authority of legal tradition and seeks to modernize Jewish traditions. 
• Practices

  Orthodox Jews strictly observe Shabbat and kosher laws. They pray three times a day, often from a prayer book in Hebrew. Men wear a prayer shawl during morning prayer. In Orthodox synagogues, men and women sit separately during services. Reform Judaism has adapted many traditional practices, such as allowing men and women to sit together during services.                                                                 

  

Reform Judaism originated in Germany in the early 19th century. Orthodox Judaism is numerically smaller than Reform Judaism, but Orthodox Jews are more likely to have large families and pass on their observance of Judaism to their children. 

The differences show up in their support for Israel, though the strongest rabbi in

Portland for Israel was Rabbi Rose of the Reform Temple, as I remember.  He formed

a group of people to debate others in the support of Israel and gave them all a long list of

books to read for their education.  He had come from Orthodox parents. 

He aimed to transform Jerusalem into a Roman metropolis, and in 132 he banned the practice of castration and circumcision. A short time later, many Jews in Judaea revolted under the charismatic Bar Kokhba, a man who had been recognized by some s  the messiah. Many have introduced themselves as the awaited messiah,     but we still wait.  

When it comes to history, I'm afraid that the Israelis are educated about the biblical

history far better than American Jews who only get a smattering if any in their Sunday

school program, and certainly not in their school systems.  To understand and 

appreciate Judaism, one should study the history and then the customs should make

more sense.   

Resource:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken

https://jewishfactsfromportland.blogspot.com/2020/11/what-aipac-and-j-street-stand-for.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_views_on_Jesus

https://www.state.gov/secretary-antony-j-blinken-at-the-j-street-national-conference/

https://mondoweiss.net/2024/11/what-netanyahus-firing-of-yoav-gallant-means-for-gaza-israels-regional-war-and-the-us-israel-relationship/ *****