For many years, the slogan of Israel's Reform movement has been There Is More Than One Way To Be Jewish In The Jewish State! Unfortunately, what should be so obvious and uncontroversial still requires repeating. And today, louder than ever.

Many Israeli cities have no pluralistic and egalitarian religious alternatives for liberal Jews, and the only options available are Orthodox. As a result, many are alienated from Judaism, because they do not feel it represents their liberal values and see no alternatives that interpret our traditions in ways compatible with their humanistic worldview. IRAC helps dozens of Reform congregations around the country in their struggles to secure allocations of land and resources to build egalitarian synagogues, which often pit them against staunch opponents who want to impose their restrictive beliefs on all of us. The result is that we are forced to engage in long legal struggles.

Congregation Kodesh v'Chol is the Reform community in Holon, a large suburb of Tel Aviv with almost 200,000 residents. Established 15 years ago, its membership comprises hundreds of families. Many more residents participate in and enjoy its vibrant and inclusive programming. It offers Shabbat and holiday services, promotes cultural activities, and coordinates Tikkun Olam projects. Its educational initiatives include running 3 pluralistic preschools and a pluralistic elementary school.

Holon residents have no other liberal Jewish religious alternative in the city. Yet despite providing vital services, Kodesh v'Chol has operated out of temporary spaces since its inception. And for over a decade, it has been trying to establish a proper synagogue building, a permanent home.

The first step in the process of establishing a synagogue is securing the allocation of a site from the municipality, which controls land resources. In 2014, the community first submitted its formal request. To this day, a full ten years later, allocation has not been granted. Why? Because intolerant Haredi politicians want to ensure that there is only one way to be Jewish and believe they should have the power to force their worldview on everyone else.

In 2020, in the face of the municipality's cynical delays and stalling tactics, IRAC turned to the District Court, which rebuked the city for dragging its feet and ordered it to advance the allocation process swiftly. As the municipality failed to comply, in 2021 we filed a contempt of court proceeding. In response, the municipality committed to advancing the process. Yet it still, outrageously, refused to do so.

In recent months, we at long last reached an agreement and the final stage of the process, ten years after its initiation. All that remained was for the city council to approve the allocation agreement. We thought that after all these years of unnecessary complications, finding a space for a synagogue in this central Israeli city was about to become a reality. Finally, this Jewish community could begin to build its home.

But this past Thursday, we were shocked to discover that the municipality had decided to cancel the allocation altogether, despite a decade of persistent work!

The municipality is now claiming that the neighborhood needs more pre-schools. But the educational needs of the city's residents have been known all along and Kodesh v'Chol is committed to continuing the operation of its pluralistic preschools. What changed? Only the mayor, Shai Keinan. Elected in February 2024, he had campaigned against the Reform movement in order to secure support from Shas, a Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) party. Although he's not Haredi himself, he pandered to them by proclaiming during his campaign, These little Reform Jews have invented a religion of their own!

On Sunday, the city council decided to cancel the allocation altogether, because the neighborhood where Kodesh v'Chol seeks to establish its permanent home already has 16 synagogues. But it failed to mention that all 16 synagogues, like the more than 77 synagogues across the city, are Orthodox. What about the city's obligation to its liberal public? What about the needs of Kodesh v'Chol's hundreds of Reform families for a permanent home to meet and pray in? What about the many more city residents interested in the alternatives it provides for liberal Jewish religious life?

Of course, we refuse to give up. We are preparing to submit an urgent court petition and are also initiating a public campaign, because this blatant discrimination is part of a broad campaign by the mayor against the city's liberal public, which has included shuttering chapters of liberal youth movements, closing museums, and broadcasting hateful homophobic statements.

This is where you come in. We are asking you to join us in expressing shock regarding the mayor's bigoted and discriminatory behavior. Let him know that there must be a place for a Reform synagogue in Holon. Send the mayor an email by clicking this link. Let your voices be heard loud and clear alongside ours. Help us make sure that such abominable behavior is not tolerated.

We will not rest until a proper Reform synagogue is built in Holon. Because there is more than one way to be Jewish and the rights of all Jews to express their Judaism according to their beliefs must be respected throughout our homeland!
 

Act Now for Reform Judaism in Israel! Send an Email to Holon's Mayor Demanding that He Abide by the Agreement and Let Congregation Kodesh v'Chol Build a Synagogue!

Thank you for your continued courage to care about Israel's future as an egalitarian, just, and pluralistic society!

Sincerely,

Orly Erez-Likhovski

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