ARZA, URJ, and WUPJ senior lay and professional leadership experienced the fullness of our Reform Movement in Tel Aviv on Friday June 18, 2010. What follows is from Rabbi Daniel Allen, Executive Director of ARZA, reflecting on the Friday experience of the leadership.  

The fence was proposed to be built between two schools in Jaffa; one with Arab students and Arab Israeli curriculum and the other with Jewish students and some Arab Students with and Israeli National curriculum, the standard "secular" school. The fence would have divided the joint playground used during recess.

The Weizman school had been struggling. Very few Jewish families were signing up their kids to attend. The city school authorities turned to our movement and to Rabbi Meir Azari of Beit Daniel to run the early grades of the school. The first year there were 6 Jewish kids and 4 Arab kids in the one kindergarten classroom. This year there were 12 Jewish kids and 15 Arab kids. Next year the registration is for two classrooms with about a 60%/40% split of Jewish and Arab kids.

The classes are in Hebrew and the culture is Jewish. Across the hall an all-Arab kindergarten teaches in Arabic and Arabic Culture.

On Friday our group of Reform leaders participated with the youngsters in the Shabbat ceremony. Arabs and Jews sang the brachot, heard about the Parashat Hashavuah, and got ready for Shabbat. I sat with Tony and Mahmoud as they recited the bracha over the wine.

The Arab families who chose this classroom for their kids want them to integrate into Israeli society. 1.5 million Israelis call themselves "secular". Yet 80% believe in God, 90% observe Passover in some fashion, 75% light Hanukah candles and a similar number light Shabbat candles.

Through institutions like Beit Daniel running kindergartens around Tel Aviv, literally thousands of Jews are touched by a positive religious element. Our movement can continue to affect, with ARZA's help, our target population, the 1.5 million "secular" Israelis".

Shavuah tov from Tel Aviv. By the way, with the efforts of IMPJ and Beit Daniel no fence was built.

Danny

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