Monday Mar 30, 2009
Posted by Rabbi Seth Farber
The recent uproar regarding the refusal of an Israeli burial society (Chevra kadisha) to allow a woman to eulogize her relative highlights a broader problem in Israeli Jewish culture. The fact is that too many of those charged with assisting rank-and-file Israelis with their experience of Jewish life have little regard for the values of their clientele.
Last week's unpleasant episode, in which a woman who sought to deliver a eulogy was physically withheld from doing so, is not a one-time occurrence. Three years ago, the Petach Tikva Chevra Kadisha was sued in the Israeli Supreme Court over the same issue (and though the Chevra Kadisha lost the case, in practice women are still discouraged from eulogizing there.) Four years ago, a woman who was denied the right to eulogize in a cemetery in the Bet Shemesh region turned to ITIM for help, and after a protracted negotiation, the Chevra Kadisha was convinced not to interfere if women deliver eulogies. However, the practice of discouraging women from eulogizing, or at least not encouraging them to eulogize, continues to this day.
Thursday Jan 29, 2009
Posted by Rabbi Seth Farber
This week, the rabbinical courts held their annual press conference which highlighted the growing divorce rate in Israel. Unlike 2007 when 9,765 couples ended their marriages with the issuance of a get [divorce decree] (down from 9,963), in 2008, more than 10,000 gets were given (the actual number is 10,225). In some of the younger cities in Israel like Shoham, divorces increased by more than 100%, while among cities with diverse populations such as Bet Shemesh, divorces were down by more than 22%. All in all, these statistics are worrying. Divorces increase of almost 5% over the past year.
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About this blog
Orthodox Opinions
Rabbi Seth (Shaul) Farber received his Ph.D. from the Hebrew University and his rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University. He is the founder of ITIM: The Jewish Life Information Center and rabbi of Kehillat Netivot in Ra'anana where he lives with his wife, Michelle, and their five children. Rabbi Farber is the author of An American Orthodox Dreamer: Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik and Boston's Maimonides School (UPNE: 2004).
Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, the executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, previously held the post of Orthodox Opinions blogger and BlogCentral would like to thank him for all his contributions.
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Recent Comments
Bee, NYC: Thank you Akiva. Do we want to honor all who wish to live as Jews or do we want to give even more power to rabbis. And if they are so concerned about our religion why don't they clean up their own behavior instead of judging others. Let them decide instead who should be a rabbi - or is selling kidneys, abusing children and laundering money less important than keeping control over others. This is corruption it is not religion, and it is a disgrace. Israel was not founded so we could all return to the dark ages. I as ashamed that intolerance passes for faith.
David Newton:
Shalom Rabbi Farber
This is the word of the Lord to Israel, Yes I have returned to Love Israel and Bless her as the people are doing right but I am still testing you that is why I have not driven out all the ememies of Jerusalem as per Judges 2v22,23 so do not try to build a Temple. I tell you who built the church of nations on Mt Zion is keeping it Holy for Immanuel. Your generation now is in control of the future and receiving Yeshua now...the one described in Isaiah 7v14 and 9v6 are proved by the B'rit Hadasha. Focus on Yeshua and enemies will flee or convert
Your Annointed Prophet
Tamir: Dear Rav Farber. Thanks for your "enlightened" analysis. My best friend made aliyah from the US, converted through Rav Druckman's authority, and is now confronted to the fact that she'll probably have to go through the whole process again because the Rabinate refused to register her for her wedding. They have behaved so badly to her, as if she was "unpure" that she is now, after months of trying to cooperate or discuss, she is simply thinking of going back to he US and forget about Israel, after 2 yrs in the army and separation from her family. Israel is changing, in the bad bad way.
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