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February 26, 1999/10 Adar 5759, Vol. 51, No. 22
Mission leaders delve into pluralism debate
AVI MACHLIS
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
JERUSALEM - Every year, a mission of leaders of American Jewish organizations travels to Israel to survey the situation. Every year, they meet with leading political figures and various segments of the Israeli population. But this year, something was different.
For the first time, delegates from the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations began to see the umbrella group as a forum for dialogue on issues that have been at the forefront of the debate on Jewish unity and Israel-Diaspora relations. Conference members from all streams of Judaism agreed that this year's mission, which ended Feb. 22, was marked by unprecedented discussion of issues related to religious pluralism.
Orthodox and liberal representatives had conflicting perceptions of why issues once considered taboo for the conference were such a focus of attention. However, they agreed that the group must continue to refrain from formulating positions on matters pertaining to Jewish law in order to maintain consensus among the group's diverse members.
"The Conference is made up of organizations from all four streams of Judaism," Melvin Salberg, chairman of the Presidents' Conference, said. "There will be no discussion of halachic content in the conference."
However, Salberg said that this year there had been a "change in the general environment" of the Presidents' Conference regarding its role as a forum for dialogue. "There is greater evidence that there is a problem within our community of tolerating differences, and there is a greater willingness to discuss this within our meetings," said Salberg.
According to Reform and Conservative leaders, these issues - including the debate over the Orthodox monopoly on religious services in Israel - played heavily in discussions because they are now hotter than ever before on the Israeli public agenda.
"The conference has realized that there is no way to discuss Israel-Diaspora relations without discussing pluralism and the religious question," said Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Reform movement's Union of American Hebrew Congregations.
Leading candidates for Israeli prime minister seem to realize this as well. Ehud Barak, the opposition Labor Party's candidate for the premiership, pledged to work toward a "tolerant, open society" if elected. But his remarks against fervently Orthodox groups angered Orthodox delegates at the conference.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the Presidents' Conference that "no Jew or non-Jew" should be illegitimate in the State of Israel. He said the only way to deal with divisive issues is "to adopt a series of compromises."
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