RABBI SCHINDLER INSULTED BY ISRAEL MINISTER

By: Gad Nahshon

Alexander M. Schindler, the well known Reform movement leader, was recently insulted by Haim Ramon, Israel's Interior Minister.

Schindler has fought in Israel for many years for the recognition of his movement in Israel and for changing Israeli laws according to a religious pluralistic approach. But Ramon, who views himself as a future Prime Minister, said: "There are only two communities in Israel: the orthodox and the secular."

Rabbi Schindler felt insulted by Ramon who has widely declared that he is against recognizing Jewish conversions by Reform or Conservative Rabbis. Ramon told him: "I am not willing because of your Reform conversions to allow Netanyahu to come to power and then my son will have to go to Gaza and be killed." Ramon argued that whenever the Labor party changed the Law of Return, the Orthodox political camp joins the Likud party so why risk this for the quest of the American Jews.

There is a belief in the American Jewish community that Ramon's attitudes and arrogant style is typical, recently of Israeli young leaders and even the intellectual elite.

Rabbi Schindler's Response to Haim Ramon

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