Beit Tefilah Israeli—Finding a Path to Authentic Israeli Judaism
By Samara Minkin
During the BJ trip to Israel in November, we met with members of Beit Tefilah Israeli in Tel Aviv, a liberal spiritual community and one of BJ’s partners in Israel. The members of BTI resembled our own membership: they were as diverse as we, and in spite of that diversity, they had come together because each wanted to make space for Judaism and spirituality in their lives.
We read texts that offered openings to discuss the paradoxes of a vital, dynamic Jewishness in Israel and in the Diaspora. One of the highlights of our discussion was sharing different challenges both of our communities have with Hebrew liturgy. BTI struggles with the God-language of liturgy; it is not always comfortable in contemporary life. BTI members wondered if we at BJ understand the prayers we daven with such passion (for, if we do, how could we still be so passionate?!). Of course, we at BJ struggle with the opposite issue—if we believe in the power of Hebrew prayer, how can it be that so many of us don’t understand the Hebrew? How can we connect with the power we believe the Hebrew language gives our prayers?
We also heard from BTI on some of the issues we would come to hear all week long: how Jewish religion had come to feel synonymous with ultraOrthodox Judaism, and how out of step (and racist and prejudiced and even immoral) ultra-Orthodox Judaism had become in the eyes of most Israelis; how members of BTI (and so many others) were actively creating a Judaism that felt authentic to them; and how gratifying it was to see attendance at their Kabbalat Shabbat services (held outdoors at the Tel Aviv port!) grow in numbers.
We were familiar with some of these issues. We understood the desire to create a Judaism that feels authentic and moral and just; we also know the joys (and the oys) of services that attract hundreds of people. The meeting was warm and wonderful, a room full of people sharing the same ideals and supporting each others’ communities.
Samara Minkin is Co-Chair of the BJ Membership Committee.
The “Focus on Israel” column is edited by Robin Fleischner, a Vice President of BJ’s Board of Trustees and Co-Chair of BJ’s Israel Steering Committee.