Jewish Religious Equality Coalition to Visit Israel for Pluralism Advocacy

The Jewish Religious Equality Coalition (J-REC) will visit Israel next week. Created and led by AJC, J-REC is a broad-based coalition of American Jews and Israelis dedicated to the realization of full religious equality in the Jewish state, and is mobilizing support for the creation of alternatives to the Chief Rabbinate.

Since its founding a year ago, J-REC has warned repeatedly that the Chief Rabbinate’s monopoly over personal status issues, such as conversion and marriage, poses threats to Israel’s democratic nature and ultimately to its national security. Any weakening of the U.S. Jewish attachment to Israel could adversely impact the U.S.-Israel special relationship.

“American Jewish concerns about the influence of the Chief Rabbinate on personal status issues compels us to intervene,” said Steven Bayme, AJC director of Contemporary Jewish Life, who staffs J-REC. “Fundamental questions of Jewish identity and peoplehood transcend geographical borders, and cannot be considered solely an internal Israeli matter.”

J-REC has held colloquium on these issues at AJC headquarters in New York, bringing together representatives of the 13 organizations in the U.S. and Israel that comprise the coalition.

"This trip is meant to underscore and publicize American Jewry's increasing unhappiness with the manner in which personal status issues are dealt with in Israel,” said Dov Zakheim , chair of AJC’s Contemporary Jewish Life Commission, who also serves as chair of J-REC. “These issues must be resolved quickly so as not to alienate the American Jewish community at a time when Israel needs the support of our community more than ever."

During the weeklong visit, J-REC members will meet with Israeli government officials, including in the prime minister’s office and Knesset members, Israelis who have sought alternate ways to marry and convert, and civil society organizations active on promoting religious pluralism.

J-REC members also will express “our solidarity with Israeli society in the face of daily anti-Jewish violence and terrorism,” said Bayme. ““For our love of Israel and commitment to strengthening Israel-Diaspora relations we are visiting Israel at this time.”