Israel's Sephardic Chief Rabbi: Conservative, Reform Jews wreak 'terrible damage'

I don't believe that there should be movements within Judaism. I have not found one single scripture that would justify there existing any movements. I am a member of a Temple, however I am not part of any movement. I'm just attending the Temple that is closest to my home and that happens to be the Reform Temple. To accept a movement is like setting a fence around yourself. That is as far as you allow yourself to travel. I am free to explore and live my life within Judaism as I feel the conviction to do so. The only thing that changes between people is the level of observance. We study all the same laws as everyone else, and there are people like myself that fill the conviction to follow the law. I am a Sephardic jew that just happens to attend a Reform Temple. If the Reform Temple was not there I wouldn't have a Temple to go to. There are non-observant jews in the Reform movement, as there are the same in every other movement as well. Maybe there are more because they feel more comfortable within Reform, but all of Judaism is available to them. No one will look down upon them for following the law if they decide to. I attend both study groups, the Reform and Chabad. I learn a lot from both groups. I don't belong to a movement, I belong to a people. Movements should not exist. We need to close the gap and just all be a people again.

I would have left long ago if it hadn't been for my activity in the Masorti Movement. And I have now been here thirty-nine years !!!

Whatever anyone thinks, they serve a purpose. And anyway, they should sort out their own factions before they talk. eg in my neighbourhood, an orthodox rabbi was having a passover dinner , and his selling point was double washing all the plates etc. As if to to say I am more kosher then the Orthodox Rabbi in the next neighbourhood. Whats all that about ?

I think the most important value of a Jewish state should be that every Jew gets to decide for himself/herself what it means for them to be Jewish. It is unacceptable that in the US, Jews have much more freedom of religion than in Israel!

But today it is conducted by a Sephardic Jew (Jew of Spanish oprigin) and not by Christian Sefarad (Spain).

no one person or group has a monopoly. More power to the reformers.

The quest to find the right answer becomes more compelling because they assimilate and /or leave even with parental pressure. Ask the individuals who do not practice Rabbi Shlomo Amar's Orthodoxy, something about the dogma doesn't appeal to them. Obvious the fault lies with the teacher because if the class is asleep and/ or is leaving the classroom, you can only assume that the teacher's methods are not effective. Thank G-D for the Conservative and Reform movement. Without them many more would be lost. Perhaps Shlomo you should start finding ways to embrace them, incorporate them and respect them. One other thing - please drop the uniform, you look dictatorial.

The faiths of Abraham are under attack from within, from out and from each other. These are dark days for the people of the faith. It doesn't matter from which branch of the faith you belong – your future and the faith is dependent on one another. How can you fight or guard against what so few seem to understand? How can you hear when your ears are so full of self righteousness? Given the darkness that seems to lay so thick and heavy, everywhere – how can one hope to see? When you can stand together; on the rock, that gave each of you your faith – you will see the light of our G_D shine -our G_D is bigger then all of us together. It is together that we will see the truth. This is both the power and the weakness of the faith: it is each persons weight -to embrace or reject.The perception of people who practice the faiths of Abraham; blind them to the purpose and the source of the faiths – what do you have, when you miss the point? What happens when you lose sight of the source; in favor for the perception of your own mind? If any person of the faiths of Abraham were to kneel before G_D – their perception of G_D would be different -but G_D remains the same. He is too large for one person to know alone. The judgments that people take, that is not theirs to make give what feeds the dark- a cruel irony. The choice is simple – you are either one who believes or one who does not and only one knows the answer to this.The Sephardi are right to be concerned but I cant say if what they are concerned about is truly the problem.You will all be called someday – your best to be prepared to hear that call – when that call comes -wherever you are – from all four corners of the world - you will have the choice to flow into the streets and return what has been stolen -life – or continue doing what you have been doing; nothing. Its already started. You all, are the water of our lord -let it flow. We came from one -it is time we became one.

Mr. (Rabbi) Amar ... It is exactly because of the "the assimilation that is eating into us and depleting us" that we need to recognize conservative and reform streams of Judaism to attract the majority of us who are rapidly being lost because Orthodoxy does not "speak" to them. Moreover, let us not forget the "unity of the Jewish People" and come to grips with the vibrant Conservative and Reform support we have from Jewish communities abroad. Do not split our people, Mr. (Rabbi) Amar! Barry Beger (Kiryat Tivon)

Israel is a democracy not a Theocracy. religious pluralism will make the State Stronger.

I think the rabbi is mistaken, the othodox contrary to the belief of some, do not represent the true spirt of Judasim. Orthodoxy stuck on 16th century mores & morals needs to be updated. Their inability to accept modern reality towards women, electricity and urban life perhaps is doing more damage than the other streams of Judism. Also isn't about time we become 1 people with a 1 chief rabbi?

They made a hundredth anniversity they couldnt find one Jewish descendent of their original membership all had assimilated. Reform is very very bad forJudaism and the Jewish people

Democratization's time has come.

"rabbi" Amar feels his position and monopoly being threatened. Unfortunatelty for him, it is time to realize that there is no "one" way to God. All paths of peace are paths of the Torah as "all paths of the Torah are paths of peace".

I recently moved to the States, I'm an orthodox jew from Italy. I can only agree with Rav Amar. It's a balagan here....

Hey buddy, Jews don't have a pope. And if they did you wouldn't be it. Speak for yourself.

The time has come for all humans of the world to recognize that peace will arise not out of steadfast adherence to outdated beliefs, but out of mutual respect and dialog. As a species, we have sojourned too long in a world of superstition and belief in supernatural phenomena. We have a well developed method for investigating nature and recognizing reality. We do not need magical thinking and supernatural explanations to substitute for reality. Nor do we need to defer to entrenched clerical royalty. We do not need to justify the violation of the ethical tenets professed by the religious in the very name of religion. It is high time that nations cease to lift swords against nations; that no longer we learn war anymore.

Judaism is often referred to as the first monotheistic religion. As in all things made by man, man also has an obsession with improving things over time. Thus was born conservative and reform Judaism. As in all religions, men that have their authority and power based in that religion do not want it changed. It is all a giant ego trip painted over with humanistic and mystical self righteousness. It is nott particular to Jews, but this is a great example.

No one elected these guys. (Always guys, never ladies.) Who are they to speak out as authorities on anything aside from religious fanaticism. In the fine British movie, "Kind hearts and Coronets", the narrator remarks about how in Britain the fool of the family, the one who is incapable of doing anything productive, is sent to the clergy. I think in Israel they do the same thing. BTW, why do these guys have to wear costumes?

Rabbi Amar is acting within his public post as Chief Rabbi. it is His job to decide on religious matters, the least of which is if the State should decide who can be a rabbi and who cannot. I respect Him and honor His decision, He should be the one deciding this matter and not politicians.

I think the Rabbinate is going to regret making a fight out of this. It will finally motivate Israelis to demand separation of religion from state and no branch of Judaism will get subsidies. But in the end, that may be a better answer.

This rabbi is totally disconnected from what will, I believe, prove to be the most sensible move for the good of Israeli society. It seems that many Israelis don't want to be totally secular or totally orthodox. The reform and conservative movements are the best alternatives, offering a middle ground for Israelis to feel comfortable within. Naturally, the first step in truly legitimizing these movements within the country is to recognize the legitimacy of their rabbis, and consequently, the legitimacy of these movements' ideologies.

Just look at what the two groups have done in the US. Jews are marrying christans every day and people think nothing of it. Their great grandparents would be turning in their graves if they could see what has happened to their childrens children. Something they beleived so strongly that they died for is lost by the two groups. All our Jewish morals are being lost because of assimilation. Look at how many assimilation Jews are in jail because they never learned the Torah and it rules. We are to be a light unto all nations.

Time to retire this anachronistic, quaint but ultimately silly custom of "chief rabbis." Half have been dull normal, all are political toadies.

the reform rabbis in the u.s. would marry a dog and a cat for a price.