Rivlin to host pluralistic study session

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin will host a study session with rabbis from various streams of Judaism in a unity-building effort.

Thursday’s event in Jerusalem will mark the upcoming fast of the Ninth of Av, which will take place Saturday night and Sunday.

The relationship between the Israeli government and non-Orthodox Jews worldwide has been rocky since Religious Services Minister David Azoulay of the religious Shas party said earlier this month that he does not consider Reform Jews to be Jewish, and urged them to turn to Orthodox Judaism.

The Prime Minister’s Office, members of the Knesset and representatives of the Jewish Agency quickly denounced Azoulay’s remarks, insisting that those feelings were his own and not indicative of the government’s stance.

“Israel is the home for all Jews, the Israeli government serves all citizens of Israel — both religious and secular regardless of the stream [of Judaism] they’re from,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the cabinet.

“The coalition has parties which don’t want any dialogue with the Reform and Conservative movements,” Natan Sharansky told the JTA at the time. “The Prime Minister’s Office on the one hand and the Jewish Agency on the other hand will help to solve these problems.”

Rivlin’s event appears to be just the latest effort of the government to mend ties with non-Orthodox Jews, though it has already faced setbacks from Orthodox Judaism.

The Orthodox representative who originally had agreed to participate backed out, Haaretz reported.

Rabbi Uri Sherki told Haaretz he would not attend for “technical reasons.” A day earlier, however, Sherki told the same newspaper that he was under pressure from some in the Orthodox community to cancel his appearance.

He has also been quoted by an Orthodox website as calling Reform Jews “heretics,” Haaretz reported.

Rabbi Benny Lau, the cousin of Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel David Lau, agreed to appear in Sherki’s place.

“At this important time, the Office of the President, together with the Jewish People Policy Institute, has initiated an event to bring together the communities of the Jewish people in an atmosphere of mutual respect, and of learning and studying, to discuss the importance of Jewish unity and the need to work together to build understanding and respect,” said a statement from the President’s Office announcing the event.