Really. The Times reports that now, following a "brokered deal," Conservative and Reform rabbis will qualify to be paid employees of the State of Israel, "JERUSALEM — The Israeli government announced on Tuesday that, for the first time, it planned to pay the salaries of a small number of Reform and Conservative rabbis, as it does with many Orthodox ones."Our experience with Israeli rabbis paid by the State is terrible, horrible, awful.
The rabbis we dealt with last year refused to allow us to officiate at the wedding of the son of a dear friend, even after we submitted our credentials. "Not enough wedding experience," they told us.
Note to world: a Jewish wedding is a simple ritual, no experience needed, five minutes of preparation will suffice for a complete novice. And PS, we have semicha from Rav Soloveitchik.
We were hurt and insulted and put down by the State employed Israeli clergy. (Names on request.)
Now, Conservative and Reform rabbis can join the ranks of Orthodox rabbis and serve as unfriendly and insulting clergy in the State of Israel.
But in achieving this "milestone" the liberal clergy accept insult upon themselves. "They will be classified as 'rabbis of non-Orthodox communities' and paid by the Ministry of Culture and Sport, not the Ministry of Religious Services," the Times says.
And further, "The deal says these non-Orthodox rabbis will not have any say over matters of religion and Jewish law, so it is unclear what their roles will be, or how many communities will request them."
And what hey, the Reform and Conservative rabbis apparently like to be insulted.
The Masorti movement’s chief executive, Yizhar Hess, called the decision historic, while Rabbi Gilad Kariv, the head of Israel’s Reform movement, described it as “a major breakthrough.”Progress? You decide.
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