Special Projects
We invite you to learn about special projects in the fields of education, society and Tikkun Olam, taking place in Israel and in our IMPJ congregations.
Congregations Kehilat Hashachar and Holy Blossom twinning story
The Domim-aLike Program creates real sisterhood ties to Israel by twinning Reform Jewish congregations in Israel with congregations around the world. Recently, members of the twinned congregations of Kehilat Hashachar (Even Yehuda, Israel) and Holy Blossom (Toronto, Canada) shared this video celebrating the shared Cantorial Musical project, voices and some wonderful shared memories of the two Kehillot.
Read about their story here.
Gay Pride Month :
Interview with Rabbi Efrat Rotem
"My name is Efrat Rotem. I am a Reform Rabbi, lesbian, butch and queer."
Just before the end of June, the international Gay Pride Month, we invite you to watch a special interview with Rabbi Efrat Rotem from Tel Aviv.
We wish to thank Ben Yerushalmi from Koteret - the online Magazine of the Department of Communication in TAU - for creating this video and sharing it with us.
For extra materials used in our congregations during Gay Pride Month, see this special text collection for 'Shabbat Ga'ava' (Pride Shabbat).
Giyur in the Israeli Reform Movement
עמך עמי ואלוהיך אלוהי" רות א' ט"ז"
"Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God" Ruth 1:26
Each year, the holiday of Shavu'ot, in which we read the book of Ruth, resurfaces the ongoing public debate regarding the subject of Giyur (conversion to Judaism) in Israel.
"Today, Ruth wouldn't have converted", wrote IMPJ President and CEO Rabbi Gilad Kariv in an article a few years ago, regarding the agonizing process that converts through the Rabbinate go through. Since 2002, Reform Giyurim in Israel are recognized by the state, but not by the Orthodox Rabbinate.
According to Av Beit HaDin (Secretary of the Beit Din) - Rabbi Gregory Kotler - the number of Giyurim performed by the Israel Reform Movement has steadily increased in recent years, with approximately 70% more Giyurim between 2010 and 2016. Some half of the Giyurim are of minors, many of them children adopted by Israelis.
"A Night to Remember"
Chapters from contemporary Israeli Haggadah
"A Night to Remember: The Haggadah of Contemporary Voices" by Mishael Zion and Noam Zion, is one of the most popular contemporary Israeli Haggadot today.
The Haggadah brings together the traditional text, alongside thought-provoking commentaries by rabbis, novelists, poets and political leaders, and illustrations by internationally acclaimed Israeli artist Michel Kichka.
These textual and illustrated additions connect the ancient texts to our contemporary life and trigger discussion around the Seder table.
Shlomo Chohen's exhibition - Facing Israel - includes satirical portraits of well known politicians in Israel's history. From David Ben Gurion, Golda Meir and Menachem Begin to today's politicians - among them prime-minister Binyamin Netanyahu and head of opposition Yitzhak Herzog, Cohen captures the satirical aspect of each character and sharply portrays their public attributes.
These portraits, alongside many more of Cohen's artwork, are currently exhibited in the Israeli Cartoon Museum in Holon.
Watch online exhibition...
Honoring Debbie Fridman
Israeli musician Or Oren arranged the music of Debbie Fridman to a five pieces classical suite.
31 January 2017, 4 Shevat, 5777
By Domim staff
On the yahrzeit of the renowned Jewish musician, composer and singer Debbie Friedman we are honored to provide the first movement of the Debbie Friedman suite named 'Lechi Lach', one of the five pieces of classical arrangement by the Israeli musician Or Oren, that was launched and performed last May at the IMPJ BIENNIAL CONVENTION in Israel.
Human Warmth:
An Exhibition of Photographs on the Subject of Coexistence following the Wave of Wildfires in Haifa
27 January 2017, 1 Shevat, 5777
By Domim staff
Last week, IMPJ's Leo Baeck Center opened a photo exhibition called “Human Warmth.” The exhibition was initiated by the New Israel Fund, Shatil, and the Mossawa Center following the wave of wildfires.
