The Desecration of a Torah by the Rabbi of the Kotel – Send this letter to Israel’s leaders

03 Friday Jan 2020

Posted by rabbijohnrosove in American Jewish Life, Ethics, Human rights, Israel/Zionism, Jewish History, Jewish Identity, Women's Rights

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Dear

I along with the American Reform movement are dismayed that the Rabbi of the Kotel confiscated a Torah scroll brought to the Kotel by Women of the Wall for their monthly Rosh Hodesh prayer service in order to deny them the right to pray and read Torah at the holiest site in Judaism.

I join Women of the Wall in demanding that this Torah scroll be returned to them without condition immediately. In a democratic Israel, the Rabbi of the Wall’s behavior is unacceptable and contrary to the rights of Klal Yisrael to pray at the Wall.

Sincerely,

John L. Rosove – Emeritus Rabbi, Temple Israel of Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA

Please put your name as a signatory and send this letter to the following

bnetanyahu@KNESSET.GOV.IL – Prime Minister Netanyahu
ravhakotel@thekotel.org – Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the Kotel
info@atlanta.mfa.gov.il – Consulate in Atlanta
info@boston.mfa.gov.il – Consulate in Boston
info@chicago.mfa.gov.il – Consulate in Chicago
consular.dep@houston.mfa.gov.il – Consulate in Houston
info@losangeles.mfa.gov.il – Consulate in Los Angeles
info@miami.mfa.gov.il – Consulate in Miami
consular@newyork.mfa.gov.il – Consulate in New York
info@sanfrancisco.mfa.gov.il – Consulate in San Francisco
info@washington.mfa.gov.il – Consulate in Washington, DC
info @montreal.mfa.gov.il– Consulate in Montreal, Canada
info@ottawa.mfa.gov.il- Consulate in Ottawa, Canada
consular@toronto.mfa.gov.il – Consulate in Toronto, Canada
info@london.mfa.gov.il – Consulate in the UK

Vote Reform in the World Zionist Congress Elections – Starting January 21

31 Tuesday Dec 2019

Posted by rabbijohnrosove in American Jewish Life, Human rights, Israel/Zionism, Jewish History, Jewish Identity, Social Justice, Women's Rights

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Dear Friends,

I am a candidate on the Reform and Reconstructionist Slate for the upcoming World Zionist Congress.

If you’re not familiar, the World Zionist Congress is the World Zionist Organization’s legislative body (the parliament of the Jewish people) that meets every five years in Jerusalem. The Congress is the only body in which all of World Jewry is represented democratically, and, therefore, is our only democratic opportunity to influence Israeli society. It determines policy in Israel, designates its course of action, and chooses the leadership of the World Zionist Organization. Most importantly, the Congress makes decisions that affect the status of Reform and progressive Jews in Israel and across the world and allocates considerable funding available to Progressive Jews in Israel, to our Reform Congregations and social justice programs fighting on behalf of religious pluralism, women’s and LGBTQ rights, justice for asylum seekers, and a shared society with Israeli-Arab citizens.

I’m proud of the strength and diversity of the Reform and Reconstructionist Slate and I’m asking you to help me get out the vote. Best of all, as a candidate on the slate, I could have the opportunity to travel to Israel and be a delegate to the World Zionist Congress in October 2020. You can also read our platform here.

We are now just about 3 weeks away from the opening of the elections (January 21-March 11, 2020) and your vote is critical to maintaining a large Reform and Reconstructionist presence. Once voting opens on January 21st, you’ll be able to place your register and place your vote at the same time on-line (it will take no more than 90 seconds) for the Reform and Reconstructionist Slate here. You’ll be able to see my name on the ballot. I ask you to vote for me and all the delegates listed.

For more information, please visit ARZA.org and check out their Facebook page and/or Instagram page to stay up-to-date with voting information and additional ways to help spread the word.

Thank you so much!

I will be checking back with you when voting begins on January 21.

Rabbi John Rosove

#VoteReformWZC

A Gift for Hanukah – “Why Israel [and its Future] Matters”

09 Monday Dec 2019

Posted by rabbijohnrosove in American Jewish Life, Book Recommendations, Ethics, Human rights, Israel and Palestine, Israel/Zionism, Jewish History, Jewish Identity, Social Justice

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My new book is now available at Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Why-Israel-its-Future-Matters/dp/1934730831

Endorsements

“Morally unflinching, intellectually courageous, Rabbi John Rosove has provided us with a desperately needed map for how to navigate the growing tensions between progressives and the State of Israel. By calling out Israel when it has done wrong and calling out its critics when they exaggerate Israel’s flaws, Rabbi Rosove echoes the ancient prophets, who criticized their people but always loved and defended them. This thoughtful and passionate book reminds us that commitment to Israel and to social justice are essential components of a healthy Jewish identity.” —Yossi Klein Halevi, Senior Fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute, Jerusalem

“Rabbi John Rosove’s letters to his sons are tender and loving, but also gripping and challenging, as he grapples with modern Israel, Jewish identity, relations between Israelis and Diaspora Jews, and perhaps most significantly whether ‘you can maintain your ethical and moral values while at the same time being supporters of the Jewish state despite its flaws and imperfections.’ Rosove pulls no punches, laying out both the imperfections and the ethical choices surrounding Israel and American Jews. But he also manifests a passionate love for Israel and what one scholar has called ‘values-based aspirational Zionism.’ This book will raise as many questions for Rosove’s sons as it answers; it is a book that many of us wish we had written for our own children.” —Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer, S. Daniel Abraham Professor in Middle Eastern Policy Studies, Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs – Former US Ambassador to Israel (2001-2005) and US Ambassador to Egypt (1997-2001)

“Rabbi Rosove’s truths reach minds and open hearts. I urge each and every individual who feels in any way connected to the Jewish People, to ponder this powerful assemblage of candid insightful messages which address the core issues facing Israel as a nation, and as a notion. A must read!” —The Honorable Isaac Herzog, Chairman, Jewish Agency for Israel

“Rosove’s optimism, and his boundless faith in Jewish peoplehood and Jewish values, makes this book an invaluable blueprint for Jews, both in Israel and around the world, to help the Jewish State live up to its founding values of acceptance, pluralism, and democracy and become a true light unto the nations.” —Anat Hoffman, Executive Director, Israel Religious Action Center

“What a marvelous and refreshing book! A liberal social activist and committed Reform Jew, Rosove makes the case to Jewish millennials that they need Israel as a source of pride, connection, and Jewish renewal, and Israel needs them for the liberal values that they can bring to the Zionist enterprise. In its call for “aspirational Zionism,” the book is honest and tough about Israel’s flaws, but optimistic about the country’s direction and filled with practical strategies for promoting change. This is a no-nonsense, straight-talking work, intellectually rigorous but deeply personal. And most important, it demonstrates in compelling prose to young Jews—and Jews of all ages—that Jewish life cannot be sustained without Israel at its core.” —Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, President Emeritus, Union for Reform Judaism

“In a beautifully written, passionate, emotional and heartfelt book, Rabbi Rosove describes his love for Israel. Always honest, authentic and sincere, John does not attempt to hide Israel’s imperfections. His forty years in the rabbinate taught him that anything human is imperfect, and that true love requires engagement in the world of improvement and repair. Read and re-read Rabbi Rosove’s book. Turn the pages over and over again. You will glean his spirit, and the spirit of our people that has created and sustained the State of Israel—one of the great miracles of the world.” —Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, Senior Rabbi, Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, New York City

“Rosove’s missives are essential reading for all concerned with the Jewish condition today.” —David N. Myers, Kahn Professor of Jewish History, UCLA; President of the Board, New Israel Fund

“This book is a must-read for countless Diaspora Jews looking for information and different ways to comprehend the significance of modern-day Israel. Rabbi Rosove offers not only for his sons, but for educators looking for new material, guiding questions, and matter of fact explanations. With everything he offers us in this short volume, Rabbi Rosove teaches us to never give up hope, which makes this a must-read for all.” —Rabbi Josh Weinberg, VP for Israel and Reform Zionism, Union for Reform Judaism; Director, Association of Reform Zionists of America

“A moving love letter to Israel from a rabbinic leader who refuses to give into despair, but instead recommits to building a democratic Israel that lives up to the vision of its founders.” —Rabbi Jill Jacobs, Executive Director, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights

“A must-read for those inside the community and out who are not just looking for the right answers, but the right questions.” —Brooke Davies, Former President of the J Street U National Board

Please write a review on Amazon.

My new book – “Why Israel [and its Future] Matters – Letters of a Liberal Rabbi to his Children and the Millennial Generation with an Afterword by Daniel and David Rosove”

28 Thursday Nov 2019

Posted by rabbijohnrosove in American Jewish Life, American Politics and Life, Book Recommendations, Ethics, Human rights, Israel and Palestine, Israel/Zionism, Jewish History, Jewish Identity, Jewish-Christian Relations, Jewish-Islamic Relations, Social Justice

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Available at https://www.amazon.com/Why-Israel-its-Future-Matters/dp/1934730831

Pre-publication Endorsements

A request: If you like the book, please write a review on Amazon.

J Street’s Position on US Aid to Israel

04 Monday Nov 2019

Posted by rabbijohnrosove in American Jewish Life, American Politics and Life, Ethics, Human rights, Israel and Palestine, Israel/Zionism, Jewish History, Jewish Identity, Social Justice

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Note: The following position statement published today (November 4) by Jeremy Ben-Ami, President of J Street, is a direct response to many in the Jewish community who have been unfairly questioning J Street’s commitment to Israel’s true security needs following J Street’s National Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. last week. A number of Democratic presidential candidates spoke and different perspectives on US aid to Israel were raised.

“I couldn’t be more pleased that J Street’s National Conference last week has sparked an energetic and long-needed discussion about the role that US assistance to Israel should play, not only in supporting Israel’s long-term security, but in advancing the goal of peacefully resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and bringing an end to the occupation.

It’s no secret that this is a complicated and contentious subject, in which some are all too willing to misrepresent and misconstrue the positions with which they disagree.

There are those to J Street’s right who believe that the level and uses of American aid to Israel can under no circumstances be discussed or debated — and who seek to silence this conversation.

There are those to J Street’s left who question the need for that assistance and call for it to be entirely cut or heavily reduced.

Here’s what J Street believes:

J Street supports the provision of security assistance to which the United States committed in the Memorandum of Understanding negotiated during the Obama administration. As I testified to the House Appropriations Committee this year, “American assistance to Israel, including maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge, is an important anchor for any viable peace process based on providing Israel with the confidence and assurance to move forward on a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” Israel faces real security threats, and US commitment to its security is rooted in America’s own national interests.
The US has a right and responsibility to examine the uses to which American aid is put. Is there any country on earth that should simply get a blank check from the United States — let alone the leading recipient of United States Foreign Military Financing? US funds are supposed to be used to advance Israel’s security — not to support actions and policies that undercut it or undermine key US interests and values.
The US should not foot the bill for annexation. If the Israeli government decides to formally annex any part of the West Bank — as Prime Minister Netanyahu has repeatedly threatened to do — the US should make sure that none of the security aid money provided, or the equipment purchased with that money, is being used to implement such a destructive policy.
To ensure that the US is not funding actions and policies that run counter to our interests, policies and laws, lawmakers should consider implementing enhanced transparency and accountability measures so that they can better understand how, where and why our aid is being used.

This is not a call to reduce the level of US security assistance, or to “condition aid.” It is a call to ensure that the end uses of the aid we provide, funded by US tax dollars, clearly align with our interests, policies and laws — and actually advance Israel’s security.

J Street is very encouraged and energized that there is a vibrant discussion emerging on this question. We may not share all of the positions advanced by every presidential candidate or organization with which we are generally aligned. But we do believe — without question — that the time is right for an open, honest and respectful national conversation about how the US-Israel relationship operates, and how America should use its foreign policy tools in the region to promote peace, security and human rights.

Those attacking J Street and presidential candidates for even examining the concept of restricting the use of US aid are in many cases people who have loudly called for restrictions on aid to the Palestinian Authority or the United Nations. They are those who generally refuse to tolerate any criticism of Israeli government policy, and refuse to even recognize the existence of the occupation.

In order for this important conversation to flourish, we cannot allow them to silence us, or to successfully smear those they disagree with as “anti-Israel.” We cannot let the “old playbook” come back into fashion.

We’ve demonstrated that the large majority of American Jews are pro-Israel but opposed to the far-right agenda of Trump, Netanyahu and their allies. Like the majority of Democrats and Americans in general, they want to see our next president confront the challenges of conflict and occupation head-on — and take bold, principled steps to lead the way toward a two-state solution.

We are determined to help defeat Donald Trump, and to make sure that his successor has the space, the vision and the tools they need to lead the way toward a better future from Day One.

Our conference was a major milestone in this work. We look forward to standing together with you to continue the fight throughout the year ahead.

Thanks for all that you do,

Jeremy Ben-Ami
President, J Street”

All Its Inhabitants: Living Under Israeli Jurisdiction

30 Wednesday Oct 2019

Posted by rabbijohnrosove in American Jewish Life, Book Recommendations, Ethics, Human rights, Israel and Palestine, Israel/Zionism, Jewish History, Jewish Identity, Social Justice, Women's Rights

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In the forthcoming book, Deepening the Dialogue: Israelis and American Jews Envision the Jewish-Democratic State (New York: CCAR Press, 2019), Rabbi Jill Jacobs and Rabbi Levi Kelman address the aspirational ethical treatment of all the inhabitants of the land of Israel as articulated in Israel’s Declaration of Independence (DOI).

I am a co-editor with Rabbi Stanley Davids of this unique book that includes 20 articles (chapters) based on Israel’s (DOI) of which Rabbis Jacobs and Kelman are two.

The articles are written by 10 leading Israeli and 10 leading American Jewish thought leaders addressing a wide variety of issues relative to the DOI. The book’s articles will all be translated into Hebrew and English and will be available in Israel and all English speaking countries. The book will be published before the Union for Reform Judaism’s Biennial Convention in Chicago (December 11-15).

This superb book is part of a project to bring Israelis and Diaspora Jews together to consider and discuss the fundamental issues concerning Israel’s democracy and pluralistic character as the homeland of the Jewish people.

I wrote a review of Rabbi’s Jacobs (Director of Terua: Rabbis for Human Rights in America) and Rabbi Levi Kelman (founder of Congregation Kol Haneshama and immediate past director of Israel’s Rabbis for Human Rights) for the Reform Judaism on-line website. You can find my review here – http://bit.ly/2BS5ZAl.

I urge you to purchase the book and read all 20 pieces. They are superbly written concerning what Israel is and aspires to be.

The Fox Hunt – A gripping tale

13 Sunday Oct 2019

Posted by rabbijohnrosove in Book Recommendations, Human rights, Jewish-Islamic Relations

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The Fox Hunt – A Memoir of Yemen and my Odyssey to America (Harper Collins: New York, 2018) reads like an action novel based in the fundamentalist and extremist Muslim world. It tells the odyssey of a young Yemeni Muslim man, Mohammed Al Samawi, who dared to challenge the template of anti-Christian and anti-Jewish attitudes in which he was raised and risked his life to escape his beloved country of birth in the midst of its murderous civil war in 2015.

To read my entire review, see my blog at the Times of Israel – https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-fox-hunt-a-gripping-tale/

Rabbi John Rosove's Blog

Category Archives: Human rights

The Desecration of a Torah by the Rabbi of the Kotel – Send this letter to Israel’s leaders

The Fox Hunt – A gripping tale