The Chief Rabbinate v. The Jewish People – A Lecture with Bambi Sheleg

Can’t get fairer than that.

7:40 p.m. Temple Beth Am. The head of the synagogue’s Israel committee waxes enthusiastic about their recent trip to the Holy Land. The highlight? Joking around with some cool rabbis who introduced themselves with their first names. “By the third day, Rabbi Kligfeld said I could call him Adam.”

For the next year, the temple’s Israel programming will focus on “religious pluralism.”

According to FB: “Ms. Sheleg is founder and editor of Eretz Acheret (“A Different Israel’), a magazine and website that brings together leading voices from all sides of the political and ideological spectrum to discuss issues of Jewish identity and society.”

Bambi Shelleg denounces Israel’s Chief Rabbinate as “extremist rabbis.” She says they have set about to abolish conversion and to give women a hard time when they seek a divorce.

Bambi says she doesn’t waste her time trying to dialogue with the ultra-Orthodox.

She decided to no longer be Orthodox once she saw how Israel’s Orthodox rabbinate treated Ethiopian immigrants.

Bloke next to me chews on his fingernails through the speech.

Two fat women run into each other’s arms and embrace.

As I walk home, I can’t get that image out of my head.

About Luke Ford

I've written five books (see Amazon.com). My work has been covered in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and on 60 Minutes. I teach Alexander Technique in Beverly Hills (Alexander90210.com).
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