Hiddush
Encyclopedia
Hiddush meaning innovation, renewal, full name "Hiddush – For Religious Freedom and Equality", is a trans-denominational nonprofit organization
founded in 2009 which is aimed at promoting religious freedom and equality in Israel
. The organization, a partnership between Israeli Jews and World Jewry, is headed by Jerusalem-based attorney and rabbi
Uri Regev
, former President of the World Union for Progressive Judaism
as its president and CEO, and American businessman Stanley P. Gold
, member of the Reform
Wilshire Boulevard Temple
and former Chairman of the Board of the Jewish Federation
of Greater Los Angeles
.
Hiddush is supported by a number of prominent Jews, among them businessman Charles Bronfman
, Harvard professor Alan Dershowitz
, producer Norman Lear
, authors Amos Oz
and Letty Cottin Pogrebin
, professor Amnon Rubinstein
, and Gili Zivan of the Religious Kibbutz Movement
.
, the Reconstructionist
and the Reform movements, Hiddush aims to change the existing religious power structure in Israel, with its Orthodox
and ultra-Orthodox dominance, realizing the words of the Israeli Declaration of Independence, which states that “The State of Israel ... will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture”.
Among the organization′s stated goals are the legalization of civil as well as religious marriage and divorce, ensuring recognition for Conservative, Reconstructionist and Reform marriages and conversions, full rights for rabbis of all Jewish denominations, providing equal funding for non-Orthodox religious services, and civic equality in education, employment and military service. Hiddush also pledges to fight discrimination against women and to demand that yeshiva
s meet requirements for teaching non-religious subjects. The organization advocates for freedom of religion and consciousness, but not necessarily a complete separation of religion and state.
According to Rabbi Regev, the social problems facing Israel are caused by the religious involvement in the state, including inequality in education, employment and army service, discrimination against women, refusal of ultra-Orthodox schools to implement the legal requirement for teaching mathematics, English, sciences and civics and the limitations on use of public transportation. Stanley Gold′s concern is that Israeli economy may be reduced to a third-world level within ten years due to the fact that a quarter of Jewish students in Israel study in the ultra-Orthodox school system, where they don′t study English or science, if a drastic shift in the ultra-Orthodox school curriculum does not occur and an increase in ultra-Orthodox men′s participation in the workforce doesn't take place. 60 percent of ultra-Orthodox men in Israel study in yeshivas and do not work, supporting their families solely with government stipends. Different studies have found that ultra-Orthodox men′s avoidance of joining the Israeli job market costs Israel NIS 5 to 15 billion ($ 1.3 to 4 billion) annually.
Its latest survey of 800 adult Jewish Israelis conducted by the Smith Research Institute in Summer 2010 shows that
The studies show “strong support for a range of matters of religious freedom and equality amongst the general Israeli population. This suggests that mainstream Israelis, across the social and political spectrum, are open to fundamental change in the longstanding status quo agreements which have granted monopoly powers to the ultra-Orthodox political parties and chief rabbinate. Israelis seek a more free and egalitarian society, in which all citizens receive more equal status, both in rights and duties.”
Nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
founded in 2009 which is aimed at promoting religious freedom and equality in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. The organization, a partnership between Israeli Jews and World Jewry, is headed by Jerusalem-based attorney and rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
Uri Regev
Uri Regev
Uri Regev is a lawyer and rabbi of the Reform movement of Judaism in Israel, and an active civil rights and religious pluralism advocate. Currently he serves as the President and CEO of “Hiddush – For Freedom of Religion and Equality”, a trans-denominational nonprofit organization aimed at...
, former President of the World Union for Progressive Judaism
World Union for Progressive Judaism
The World Union for Progressive Judaism describes itself as the "international umbrella organization for the Reform, Liberal, Progressive and Reconstructionist movements." This overall Jewish religious movement is based in about 40 countries with more than 1,000 affiliated synagogues...
as its president and CEO, and American businessman Stanley P. Gold
Stanley Gold
Stanley Phillip Gold is President and CEO of Shamrock Holdings, Roy E. Disney's private investment company. He was on the Walt Disney Company's board of directors 1984; 1987-2003. He and Roy resigned to publicly campaign to oust then CEO and Chairman of the Board Michael Eisner. He also helped...
, member of the Reform
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
Wilshire Boulevard Temple
Wilshire Boulevard Temple
Wilshire Boulevard Temple, founded in 1862 as Congregation B'nai B'rith, is the oldest Jewish congregation in Los Angeles, California. One of the country’s most respected Reform congregations, Wilshire Boulevard Temple's magnificent sanctuary, with its iconic dome and Warner Murals, is a City of...
and former Chairman of the Board of the Jewish Federation
Jewish Federation
A Jewish Federation is a confederation of various Jewish social agencies, volunteer programs, educational bodies, and related organizations, found within most cities in North America that host a viable Jewish community...
of Greater Los Angeles
Greater Los Angeles Area
The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is a term used for the Combined Statistical Area sprawled over five counties in the southern part of California, namely Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County and Ventura County...
.
Hiddush is supported by a number of prominent Jews, among them businessman Charles Bronfman
Charles Bronfman
Charles Rosner Bronfman, is a Canadian businessman and philanthropist. With an estimated net worth of $US 2.0 billion , Bronfman was ranked by Forbes as the 15th wealthiest Canadian and 595th in the world....
, Harvard professor Alan Dershowitz
Alan Dershowitz
Alan Morton Dershowitz is an American lawyer, jurist, and political commentator. He has spent most of his career at Harvard Law School where in 1967, at the age of 28, he became the youngest full professor of law in its history...
, producer Norman Lear
Norman Lear
Norman Milton Lear is an American television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude...
, authors Amos Oz
Amos Oz
Amos Oz is an Israeli writer, novelist, and journalist. He is also a professor of literature at Ben-Gurion University in Be'er Sheva....
and Letty Cottin Pogrebin
Letty Cottin Pogrebin
Letty Cottin Pogrebin is an American writer and journalist. She graduated from Brandeis University and became a writer and feminist advocate in the early 1970s. In 1971, she was one of the founding editors of Ms...
, professor Amnon Rubinstein
Amnon Rubinstein
Amnon Rubinstein is an Israeli law scholar, politician, and columnist. A member of the Knesset between 1977 and 2002, he served in several ministerial positions. He is currently dean of the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya and a patron of Liberal International.-Early life:Rubinstein was born...
, and Gili Zivan of the Religious Kibbutz Movement
Religious Kibbutz Movement
The Religious Kibbutz Movement is an organizational framework for Orthodox kibbutzim in Israel. Its membership includes 19 communities, 16 of them traditional kibbutzim, and two others in the category of moshav shitufi , meaning that they have no communal dining hall or children's house but...
.
Goals
Supported by the ConservativeConservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
, the Reconstructionist
Reconstructionist Judaism
Reconstructionist Judaism is a modern American-based Jewish movement based on the ideas of Mordecai Kaplan . The movement views Judaism as a progressively evolving civilization. It originated as a branch of Conservative Judaism, before it splintered...
and the Reform movements, Hiddush aims to change the existing religious power structure in Israel, with its Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
and ultra-Orthodox dominance, realizing the words of the Israeli Declaration of Independence, which states that “The State of Israel ... will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture”.
Among the organization′s stated goals are the legalization of civil as well as religious marriage and divorce, ensuring recognition for Conservative, Reconstructionist and Reform marriages and conversions, full rights for rabbis of all Jewish denominations, providing equal funding for non-Orthodox religious services, and civic equality in education, employment and military service. Hiddush also pledges to fight discrimination against women and to demand that yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
s meet requirements for teaching non-religious subjects. The organization advocates for freedom of religion and consciousness, but not necessarily a complete separation of religion and state.
According to Rabbi Regev, the social problems facing Israel are caused by the religious involvement in the state, including inequality in education, employment and army service, discrimination against women, refusal of ultra-Orthodox schools to implement the legal requirement for teaching mathematics, English, sciences and civics and the limitations on use of public transportation. Stanley Gold′s concern is that Israeli economy may be reduced to a third-world level within ten years due to the fact that a quarter of Jewish students in Israel study in the ultra-Orthodox school system, where they don′t study English or science, if a drastic shift in the ultra-Orthodox school curriculum does not occur and an increase in ultra-Orthodox men′s participation in the workforce doesn't take place. 60 percent of ultra-Orthodox men in Israel study in yeshivas and do not work, supporting their families solely with government stipends. Different studies have found that ultra-Orthodox men′s avoidance of joining the Israeli job market costs Israel NIS 5 to 15 billion ($ 1.3 to 4 billion) annually.
Activities
During its start-up year, Hiddush has been operating on a $ 500,000 budget and skeleton staff. It has a series of long-range projects, such as forming alliances with like-minded groups, using the social media in Israel and the Diaspora, publishing investigative media reports, legal challenges, “report cards” on the votes of Knesset members, and special outreach to Russian immigrants in Israel.Religion and State Index
Hiddush conducts a “Religion and State Index” evaluated by public opinion surveys it commissions. The first survey of 1,200 adult Jewish Israelis conducted by the Smith Research Institute in Summer 2009, shows that- 83% support ensuring freedom of religion and conscience;
- 60% expressed support for a complete separation of religion and state, 82% of the secular public surveyed;
- 50% consider the tension between the ultra-Orthodox and secular populations as the most important or second in importance within Israeli society;
- 92% of secular Jews support abolishing the Orthodox monopoly on marriage, 61% of secular population and 70% of immigrants prefer to be married – and that their children would be married – in a non-Orthodox manner or to live together unmarried, 65% prefer to be married in an Orthodox manner; 69% expect the Orthodox monopoly on marriage to continue;
- 53% and 74% of the secular population (but only 47% of immigrants) support the recognition of an option for same-sex marriage or domestic partnership, 17% of ultra-Orthodox women, but 0% of ultra-Orthodox men, think that if civil marriages or domestic partnerships are recognized, they should also be open for gays and lesbians;
- 84% oppose military service exemptions for yeshiva students;
- 75% support reducing government funding to yeshivas and large families, in order to create an incentive for ultra-Orthodox men to leave full-time yeshiva studies and join the workforce, including 49% of the religiously observant and 22% of the ultra-Orthodox public;
- 63% are disturbed by the influence of ultra-Orthodox political parties, 83% seculars and 74% immigrants;
- 66% think that rabbis in the public service, who receive government salaries, should not be involved in politics and should refrain from publicly expressing political opinions, including 54% of the religious and 50% of the ultra-Orthodox population;
- 60% support ending the ultra-Orthodox monopoly on conversion to Judaism;
- 63% think that all Jewish denominations should be given equal status, 84% of the secular, 61% of traditional population and 79% of immigrants;
- 66% think that the State of Israel should take into consideration the views of Diaspora Jews in such matters as the Law of ReturnLaw of ReturnThe Law of Return is Israeli legislation, passed on 5 July 1950, that gives Jews the right of return and settlement in Israel and gain citizenship...
, conversion to Judaism, marriage and religion-state relations; - 80% support canceling or limiting gender-segregated Mehadrin bus lines;
- 62% support the operation of public transportation on Saturdays.
- 60% support the operation of shopping centers on Saturdays, 88% of secular population and 83% of immigrants.
Its latest survey of 800 adult Jewish Israelis conducted by the Smith Research Institute in Summer 2010 shows that
- 59% oppose any religious legislation;
- 59% support the separation between religion and state, 84% of the secular public surveyed and the immigrants;
- 73% view the tension between the ultra-Orhodox and secular people as the most serious (49%) or the second most serious (24%) domestic conflict;
- 61% are in favor of recognizing non-Orthodox marriages, 90% of secular people and 92% of immigrants;
- 76% of the public support that ultra-Orhodox educational institutions should be obliged to implement the Ministry of Education′s mandatory 2003 national curriculum (called “Liba”, Hebrew acronym for “basic studies in state education”), including mathematics, English, sciences and civics; 62% are in favor of eliminating financial support for schools which do not teach the “Liba” curriculum;
- 80% hold that admissions quotas for Sephardim in Ashkenazi educational institutions constitute ethnic discrimination; 73% oppose financing of ultra-Orhodox institutions that practice ethnic discrimination policies;
- 75% support a reduction in the subsidies to yeshivas and families with five or more children in order to encourage ultra-Orhodox men to enter the work force;
- 61% are opposed to the influence of the ultra-Orhodox political parties;
- 61% support breaking the Orthodox monopoly on conversion and supports state recognition of non-Orthodox conversion;
- 65% think that opinions of Diaspora Jewry should be taken into consideration;
- 70% support abolishing or reducing the gender segregated public bus lines.
The studies show “strong support for a range of matters of religious freedom and equality amongst the general Israeli population. This suggests that mainstream Israelis, across the social and political spectrum, are open to fundamental change in the longstanding status quo agreements which have granted monopoly powers to the ultra-Orthodox political parties and chief rabbinate. Israelis seek a more free and egalitarian society, in which all citizens receive more equal status, both in rights and duties.”
External links
- Hiddush-Freedom of Religion for Israel, Inc. official homepage
- Rabbi Uri Regev explains Hiddush, video
- Israel must break growing stranglehold of religion. By Uri Regev and Stanley Gold, JTA October 28, 2009
- Hiddush-Religious Freedom and Equality Report. Knesset Legislative Session. Summer 2010. April 26 – July 21, 2010 Compiled by Shahar Ilan