Liberal Judaism shares the worry and anguish of the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism (IMPJ) that the State of Israel will cease to be the home for ALL Jews. We fully endorse their powerful statement below:

The Reform Movement in Israel is pained by today’s announcement that the Likud party gave in to the ultra-Orthodox parties’ demand to enact a law that would cancel the recognition of Reform conversions. We feel the pain of thousands of Israelis who strive to become Jews, study, celebrate and observe, and yet, will not be able to convert in a way that reflects their needs and values.

We feel the pain of thousands of same-sex couples who won’t be able to convert their babies in a way that recognizes both fathers or mothers as parents. And we feel the pain of the State of Israel that in its seventy-fifth year will cease to be the state of the entire Jewish people.

We call on the Prime Minister to continue and accept the thousands of women and men who have chosen to tie their fate with the Jewish people and the State of Israel through the honorable Reform conversion process, and to prevent deepening the schism with liberal Judaism, which constitutes the majority of the Jewish people in Israel and around the world.