Interview Rabbi Levi Weiman-Kelman: Hope is a religious commandment

There are different denominations in Judaism, as e.g. there are Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox in Christianity. The current denominations of Judaism are a result of modernity, says Weiman-Kelman

You were born in 1953 in New York city. Why did you move to Israel in the 1980s?

I moved to Israel after I was ordained as a rabbi. Over the years, I was going back and forth between the United States and Israel. Friends at the Gezer kibbutz, a secular kibbutz, not far from Jerusalem, wanted to add some Jewish content to the kibbutz. They invited me for a year to provide them guidance. I overstayed. I married my wife Paula on the kibbutz, we have been married for 45 years, our first child, Zohar, was born there. We then moved to Jerusalem where I started my own congregation.

You are a leading figure of progressive reform Judaism in Israel. What are its main characteristics?

There are different denominations in Judaism, as e.g. there are Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox in Christianity. The current denominations of Judaism are a result of modernity. Prior to that, Jewish communities were insular, they lived in isolation, even though Jews travelled around the world and had contact with each other, their communities, from Poland to Morocco, remained autonomous. With the advent of the modern world and the opportunity for Jews to become citizens of the countries where they lived, different ways of being Jewish emerged. Orthodox Jews were not interested in the modern world, they preferred to live in self-enclosed communities, these are the ultra-orthodox, with their black hats and long side curls. The liberal expression of Judaism embraced modernity and its challenges, while remaining loyal to Judaism and its practices. A concrete example, in an Orthodox synagogue, men and women sit separately and the religious leadership is in the hands of men. In liberal Jewish communities, especially Reform Judaism, women participate equally and fully, they are rabbis, lead services and read from the Torah scrolls on holidays. Reform Judaism also has a strong emphasis social justice, namely, „Tikkun Olam“/repairing the world, making it a better place. This includes being open to the LGBTQ community and interfaith communication with clergy from other religions.

The Reform movement in Israel is unique. Here we have our own state, government, parliament, army. In the Knesset, we have religious Orthodox political parties with political influence and power. Orthodox communities receive enormous amounts of state funding for synagogues and educational institutions. The smaller liberal movements have to raise funds themselves, they are in a very different position from their counterparts outside Israel. Further, Reform Judaism is not recognised in Israel as an official part of Judaism. If I officiate a wedding, it will not be recognised by the state of Israel. But if a couple enters a civil marriage abroad, the state of Israel will recognise that marriage license, but there is no option in Israel for a civil marriage. This is problematic, for example for Jews from the former Soviet Union who do not have the ability to prove they are Jewish: they must go through an Orthodox conversion and be married by an Orthodox rabbi. It is a bit absurd that Israel is the only place in the world that I, a rabbi, cannot perform a wedding that is recognised in Israel itself.

Where are progressive Jews the most numerous?

There is no doubt that the largest Reform Judaism community is in the United States. There is also conservative Judaism which is also liberal, regardless of its name. It aims to conserve traditions, while Reform Judaism is more creative and experimental. Even so, conservative Judaism, with some 10 years delay, catches on most of the changes that the Reform movement brings to Judaism. There are even more liberal movements, such as the Reconstructionist and Renewal Judaism.

Can you explain the rift between Orthodox rabbis around the world who oppose the State of Israel and those who lobby for the erasure of Palestinians from historical Palestine?

Orthodox Judaism is not monolithic. Modern Orthodox rabbis are completely committed to adhering by Jewish law, they are very nationalistic, some are ultra-nationalistic, and they will serve in the Israeli army. Their statements are fiercely zionist, racist, xenophobic, mysoginist, the whole list. Among the ultra-Orthodox rabbis there are divisions. Within this group, there are those waiting for the Messiah, they live in Israel, but do not recognise the legitimacy of the state of Israel as a Jewish state. They refuse to serve in the army, to vote, to pay taxes and they send their children to segregated schools. In the West Bank, the settler movement comprises mostly modern Orthodox Jews who have established settlements on Palestinian lands. They are indeed devoted to erasing a Palestinian presence in the land of Israel. They firmly believe that the whole of the land of Israel was given to the Jewish people, that the Palestinians have no right to live there, they can only if they subject themselves completely to Jewish authority, with no right to land ownership. Some of these people are now members of the current Government, which is why this Government is the most right wing ultra nationalist Government Israel has ever had. Ben Gvir, the Minister of Interior, and Smotrich, the Finance Minister, are among those promoting horrible activities in the West Bank aimed at making the lives of Palestinians miserable.

There are tensions between ultra-Orthodox Jews and modern Orthodox Jews who believe all Jewish citizens of Israel should serve in the army, while the ultra-Orthodox are of the belief that devoting their lives to studying the Torah uninterrupted is their way of protecting Jews. Secular and traditional Israeli Jews don‘t buy it, they have contempt for ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Then there is a very small fraction of ultra-Orthodox Jews, the Neturei Karta, who are extremely pro-Palestinian, they may even express support for Iran and Hamas, this is because they are fiercely anti-zionist. They represent only a tiny segment of the Jewish population, there are a few in Israel, but the majority are in the United States, where they live ordinary lives, though with little political involvement. Satmar Hasidim are anti -Zionist but not politically pro-Palestinian.

In 1985, you founded the Kol HaNeshana synagogue in Jerusalem which grew into the largest reform congregation in Israel. In your synagogue you hold peace prayers in Arabic. Can you tell us more about prayers in your synagogue since October 2023?

I founded the synagogue 40 years ago. There was a consensus then that prayers for peace should be included in our service. At an interfaith conference, I met a Malaysian Muslim imam. I described to him that at the end of each service, we offer a peace prayer in Hebrew. I asked him if there was any peace prayer in Arabic he could teach me, he did: „Allāhumma anta as-salām wa minka as-salām“/“Oh God, you are the peace, and the peace comes from you.“ Every service now ends with this prayer in Arabic. We often have visitors from different religions in our synagogue, I always invite their clergy to initiate a peace prayer in their own language and from their own tradition. Our synagogue has a long and strong tradition of praying for peace. After October 7th, my successor tried very hard to maintain the commitment to pray for peace. Prayers for the hostages were added, as were for those suffering in Gaza, which wasn‘t easy for the congregation, but they felt it was something important to do regardless. Our congregation did well in maintaining the hope that peace is possible and has to happen, even though reality may not be reflecting that hope.

The World Union of Progressive Judaism runs the Jewish Effective Giving Initiative collecting and distributing donations to save lives around the world. Are progressive synagogues in Israel collecting funds for the victims of Israeli brutality in Gaza and West Bank?

Members of Reform congregations are disproportionately represented in organisations that try to help Palestinians. October 7th made that harder, some who were involved in peace work stepped back. Others had an opposite response, it made them recommit to work on peace between Palestinians and Israelis. Our congregation was also at the forefront of demonstrations demanding the return of hostages. We found ourselves in a dual reality of caring for the suffering of the Jewish hostages, while recognising the suffering of Palestinians. Our members have been maintaining their close relationships they had with Gazans before October 2023. We do not have a direct way to help Palestinians in Gaza. I do not know if there are Israelis making cash donations for Gaza.

Things are also quite horrific in the West Bank right now. I am a founding member of Rabbis for Human Rights. Rabbis from all denominations are members. We work in partnership with other Christian and Palestinian groups to organise a protective presence against settler and army attacks against Palestinian during olive harvesting. I was there in October helping.

You were a founding member and President of Rabbis for Human Rights, which is dedicated to exposing human rights violations committed by Israel and advocating for justice in Israel and the Palestinian occupied territories. Does this include an end to occupation and apartheid?

I do not know that the organisation has an official position on the occupation. But I do not know anyone in the organisation who is not totally in favor of ending the occupation. We focus on Human Rights violations and are aware that the occupation itself makes it impossible for Israel not to violate Human Rights. Let me put it this way, when a Human Rights violation occurs, we can sometimes intervene, e.g. providing a protective presence, but ending the occupation is way out of our hands, though we do go to demonstrations against the occupation.

If in progressive Judaism Israel remains as „the center of the Jewish people and Jewish identity“, i.e. zionism, how is zionism compatible with the rights of Palestinians?

I believe, with all my heart, that Israel can be both a zionist and democratic state and, God willing, there will be a two state solution, with Palestinians enjoying the full rights of an indepedent, sovereign and equal state, while they would also exercise equal rights as citizens of a Jewish Israel state.

The Israeli „Law of Return“ grants citizenship to the entire Israeli diaspora, including children and grandchildren. Should there be leaders on both sides that can overcome fear and are determined to creating a lasting peace, can you imagine a case for a similar right to return for Palestinians that were forced to flee their homeland, now Israel, in 1948?

Right now, I do not see either society moving in that direction. I can‘t imagine the leaderships on both sides creating a peaceful solution, that is not the current reality. I wish I knew what would make that happen.

But I believe that ultimately, it will happen in some form, Israel and Palestine will be two independent countries, with Palestinians able to come back to their ancestral home. I believe when the Messiah comes there will be no need for any national state, of any kind. That is my ultimate dream. But we are not yet in Messianic times. Right now I am just working on a two state solution, it is not realistic to work beyond that at this time.

How do you deal with this current not so optimistic prospect?

I cry a lot, a response many of us have, I pray a lot, and I believe in doing the daily work, I go to demonstrations, I help protect Palestinians during harvest and help them pick their olives, I help strengthen my community‘s commitment to peace and co-existence. This is about all I can do right now.

However, despite the difficult reality in Israel I am amazed by the number of Jews and Palestinians still committed to justice, dialogue and peace. These activists, while they are a small in number, are great in energy and vision. They give me hope for the future.