URJ Rabbis' Letter to KKL-JNF Chair, Danny Atar
Please add your signature to this letter by Monday afternoon, December 4, 2017, in time for the letter to be delivered to Mr. Atar at the URJ Biennial on December 6, 2017.
*Only rabbis serving URJ congregations or institutions, or members of the CCAR, may sign. Thank you.
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December 6, 2017
Mr. Danny Atar, Chairman, KKL-JNF Board of Directors
Jerusalem, Israel
Dear Mr. Atar,
We want to thank you for coming to speak to the Biennial Convention of the Union for Reform Judaism. As you are undoubtedly aware, the URJ represents the largest religious branch of American Jewry. Our Judaism is ethically demanding, morally scrupulous and passionate for justice. We take to heart the values of Israel's Declaration of Independence, the vision of the biblical prophets. We are also committed Zionists. In all of this, we believe that we share a great deal with you and your organization.
We write to not only remind you who we are, but to also remind you of what we cherish as sacred. KKL-JNF's support of the settlement enterprise on the West Bank stands in opposition to the values of Reform Judaism and our vision for Israel and her future, and we believe that all such financial support must end. KKL-JNF's involvement with and support of the demolition of Bedouin villages is also a tarnish on its record and something we deeply deplore.
We are not starry-eyed dreamers. We know that the Arab-Israeli, Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a harsh and complicated one. We know that the conflict and the settlement enterprise are two separate problems. We also believe that the settlement enterprise violates the human rights of Palestinians, creates needless conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, lessens the prospects for peace, and corrodes Israel's moral fiber. Treating non-Jewish citizens of Israel as second-class citizens is likewise a moral stain.
Once again, we welcome you to the Union for Reform Judaism. We are lovers of Israel and lovers of Zion. Help us also be lovers of KKL-JNF. We look forward to future exchanges with you.
Shalom,
[partial list of rabbis signing, as of Monday, December 4, 6:00pm EST]
Rabbi David Adelson
Rabbi Thomas Alpert
Rabbi Melanie Aron
Rabbi Larry Bach
Rabbi Eliot Baskin
Rabbi Marci Bellows
Rabbi Allen Bennett
Rabbi James Bennett
Rabbi Josh Beraha
Rabbi Marc Berkson
Rabbi Jonathan Biatch
Rabbi Barry Block
Rabbi Herman Blumberg
Rabbi Erin Boxt
Rabbi Harold Caminker
Rabbi Joshua Caruso
Rabbi Don Cashman
Rabbi Kenneth Chasen
Rabbi Heidi Cohen
Rabbi Faith Joy Dantowitz
Rabbi Lucy Dinner
Rabbi Ellen Weinberg Dreyfus
Rabbi Matthew Durbin
Rabbi David Edleson
Rabbi Denise Eger
Rabbi Jacqueline Koch Ellenson
Rabbi Kenneth Emert
Rabbi Shira Koch Epstein
Rabbi Morley Feinstein
Rabbi Steven Fink
Rabbi Jonathan Freirich
Rabbi Matt Friedman
Rabbi John Friedman
Rabbi Shoshana Friedman
Rabbi Elyse Frishman
Rabbi David Gelfand
Rabbi Jeremy Gimbel
Rabbi Carolan Glatstein
Rabbi Erin Glazer
Rabbi Joan Glazer Farber
Rabbi Gary Glickstein
Rabbi Arnold Gluck
Rabbi Irwin Goldenberg
Rabbi Debra Goldstein
Rabbi Hannah Goldstein
Rabbi Robert Goldstein
Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser
Rabbi Vered Harris
Rabbi Floyd Herman
Rabbi B. Charles Herring
Rabbi Michael Holzman
Rabbi Mark Hurvitz
Rabbi Suzie Jacobson
Rabbi Linda Joseph
Rabbi Yoel Kahn
Rabbi Harley Karz-Wagman
Rabbi Nancy Kasten
Rabbi Alan Katz
Rabbi Paul Kipnes
Rabbi David L Kline
Rabbi Peter S. Knobel
Rabbi David Komerofsky
Rabbi Elisa Koppe
Rabbi Riqi Kosovske
Rabbi Michael Kramer
Rabbi Jonathan Kraus
Rabbi Charles A. Kroloff
Rabbi Susan Landau
Rabbi Lynne Landsberg
Rabbi Michael Latz
Rabbi Michele Lenke
Rabbi Darah Lerner
Rabbi Mark Levin
Rabbi Kelly Levy
Rabbi Michael Lezak
Rabbi Yossi Liebowitz
Rabbi Janet Liss
Rabbi Andrea London
Rabbi Alan Londy
Rabbi Dana Magat
Rabbi Shimon Maslin
Rabbi Bernard H Mehlman
Rabbi Amy L. Memis-Foler
Rabbi Laurence Milder
Rabbi Joel Mosbacher
Rabbi Michael Moskowitz
Rabbi Robin Nafshi
Rabbi Robert Orkand
Rabbi Fred Reiner
Rabbi Michael M. Remson
Rabbi Daniel Roberts
Rabbi Stephen Roberts
Rabbi Jonathan Roos
Rabbi Gila Ruskin
Rabbi Jeffrey Saxe
Rabbi Laura Schwartz Harari
Rabbi Amy Schwartzman
Rabbi Ron Segal
Rabbi Gerald Serotta
Rabbi Susan Shankman
Rabbi Randy Sheinberg
Rabbi Alexandria Shuval-Weiner
Rabbi Adam Stock Spilker
Rabbi Liza Stern
Rabbi Ron Stern
Rabbi Keith Stern
Rabbi Susan Talve
Rabbi Joshua Taub
Rabbi Lennard R. Thal
Rabbi Andrew Vogel
Rabbi Jessica Wainer
Rabbi Pamela Wax
Rabbi Gerald Weider
Rabbi Jennifer Weiner
Rabbi Daniel Weiner
Rabbi Martin Weiner
Rabbi Steve Weisman
Rabbi Cory Weiss
Rabbi Mary Zamore
Rabbi Daniel Zemel
[120 rabbis signing, as of 6:00pm, Monday, December 4]
Please add your signature to this letter by Monday afternoon, December 4, 2017, in time for the letter to be delivered to Mr. Atar at the URJ Biennial on December 6, 2017.
*Only rabbis serving URJ congregations or institutions, or members of the CCAR, may sign. Thank you.
----------------------
December 6, 2017
Mr. Danny Atar, Chairman, KKL-JNF Board of Directors
Jerusalem, Israel
Dear Mr. Atar,
We want to thank you for coming to speak to the Biennial Convention of the Union for Reform Judaism. As you are undoubtedly aware, the URJ represents the largest religious branch of American Jewry. Our Judaism is ethically demanding, morally scrupulous and passionate for justice. We take to heart the values of Israel's Declaration of Independence, the vision of the biblical prophets. We are also committed Zionists. In all of this, we believe that we share a great deal with you and your organization.
We write to not only remind you who we are, but to also remind you of what we cherish as sacred. KKL-JNF's support of the settlement enterprise on the West Bank stands in opposition to the values of Reform Judaism and our vision for Israel and her future, and we believe that all such financial support must end. KKL-JNF's involvement with and support of the demolition of Bedouin villages is also a tarnish on its record and something we deeply deplore.
We are not starry-eyed dreamers. We know that the Arab-Israeli, Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a harsh and complicated one. We know that the conflict and the settlement enterprise are two separate problems. We also believe that the settlement enterprise violates the human rights of Palestinians, creates needless conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, lessens the prospects for peace, and corrodes Israel's moral fiber. Treating non-Jewish citizens of Israel as second-class citizens is likewise a moral stain.
Once again, we welcome you to the Union for Reform Judaism. We are lovers of Israel and lovers of Zion. Help us also be lovers of KKL-JNF. We look forward to future exchanges with you.
Shalom,
[partial list of rabbis signing, as of Monday, December 4, 6:00pm EST]
Rabbi David Adelson
Rabbi Thomas Alpert
Rabbi Melanie Aron
Rabbi Larry Bach
Rabbi Eliot Baskin
Rabbi Marci Bellows
Rabbi Allen Bennett
Rabbi James Bennett
Rabbi Josh Beraha
Rabbi Marc Berkson
Rabbi Jonathan Biatch
Rabbi Barry Block
Rabbi Herman Blumberg
Rabbi Erin Boxt
Rabbi Harold Caminker
Rabbi Joshua Caruso
Rabbi Don Cashman
Rabbi Kenneth Chasen
Rabbi Heidi Cohen
Rabbi Faith Joy Dantowitz
Rabbi Lucy Dinner
Rabbi Ellen Weinberg Dreyfus
Rabbi Matthew Durbin
Rabbi David Edleson
Rabbi Denise Eger
Rabbi Jacqueline Koch Ellenson
Rabbi Kenneth Emert
Rabbi Shira Koch Epstein
Rabbi Morley Feinstein
Rabbi Steven Fink
Rabbi Jonathan Freirich
Rabbi Matt Friedman
Rabbi John Friedman
Rabbi Shoshana Friedman
Rabbi Elyse Frishman
Rabbi David Gelfand
Rabbi Jeremy Gimbel
Rabbi Carolan Glatstein
Rabbi Erin Glazer
Rabbi Joan Glazer Farber
Rabbi Gary Glickstein
Rabbi Arnold Gluck
Rabbi Irwin Goldenberg
Rabbi Debra Goldstein
Rabbi Hannah Goldstein
Rabbi Robert Goldstein
Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser
Rabbi Vered Harris
Rabbi Floyd Herman
Rabbi B. Charles Herring
Rabbi Michael Holzman
Rabbi Mark Hurvitz
Rabbi Suzie Jacobson
Rabbi Linda Joseph
Rabbi Yoel Kahn
Rabbi Harley Karz-Wagman
Rabbi Nancy Kasten
Rabbi Alan Katz
Rabbi Paul Kipnes
Rabbi David L Kline
Rabbi Peter S. Knobel
Rabbi David Komerofsky
Rabbi Elisa Koppe
Rabbi Riqi Kosovske
Rabbi Michael Kramer
Rabbi Jonathan Kraus
Rabbi Charles A. Kroloff
Rabbi Susan Landau
Rabbi Lynne Landsberg
Rabbi Michael Latz
Rabbi Michele Lenke
Rabbi Darah Lerner
Rabbi Mark Levin
Rabbi Kelly Levy
Rabbi Michael Lezak
Rabbi Yossi Liebowitz
Rabbi Janet Liss
Rabbi Andrea London
Rabbi Alan Londy
Rabbi Dana Magat
Rabbi Shimon Maslin
Rabbi Bernard H Mehlman
Rabbi Amy L. Memis-Foler
Rabbi Laurence Milder
Rabbi Joel Mosbacher
Rabbi Michael Moskowitz
Rabbi Robin Nafshi
Rabbi Robert Orkand
Rabbi Fred Reiner
Rabbi Michael M. Remson
Rabbi Daniel Roberts
Rabbi Stephen Roberts
Rabbi Jonathan Roos
Rabbi Gila Ruskin
Rabbi Jeffrey Saxe
Rabbi Laura Schwartz Harari
Rabbi Amy Schwartzman
Rabbi Ron Segal
Rabbi Gerald Serotta
Rabbi Susan Shankman
Rabbi Randy Sheinberg
Rabbi Alexandria Shuval-Weiner
Rabbi Adam Stock Spilker
Rabbi Liza Stern
Rabbi Ron Stern
Rabbi Keith Stern
Rabbi Susan Talve
Rabbi Joshua Taub
Rabbi Lennard R. Thal
Rabbi Andrew Vogel
Rabbi Jessica Wainer
Rabbi Pamela Wax
Rabbi Gerald Weider
Rabbi Jennifer Weiner
Rabbi Daniel Weiner
Rabbi Martin Weiner
Rabbi Steve Weisman
Rabbi Cory Weiss
Rabbi Mary Zamore
Rabbi Daniel Zemel
[120 rabbis signing, as of 6:00pm, Monday, December 4]
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