Speaking about Parashat Mishpatim in Sydney

Last Saturday, I landed at the airport in Perth. After a few hours of sleep I woke up early enough to make it to Shacharit at Temple David Congregation. That was my first day in Australia and I was excited to meet the local community. When I entered, I was approached by the Gabbai who asked if I could read the Haftarra for parashat Yitro. I looked at him in shock and said to him, confidently that the Torah portion this week was Mishpatim and I knew this because I had prepared next week's portion of parashat Trumah for Sydney. After exploring this subject with some fellow congrgants, I found out I had miscounted the Parashot of Exodus. So, I had actually thought that I would be standing here talking about the building of the Mishkan in parashat Trumah but now I was faced with Mishpatim.

Reading Mishpatim is not a simple task. It seems that up until this point the books of Genesis and Exodus have presented interesting narratives, stories of dysfunctional families, long term conflicts and some cool revelations. All the ingredients of a successful soap opera. Mishpatim, on the other hand starts with very long and exhausting statements of law after law after law… And then I had an interesting insight. Until now, I was in the role of a reader. I read stories of famous people in early periods. Despite the fact that I understood the importance of these stories to human history, they did not demand anything of me personally. But starting with the Decalogue and following with Mishpatim, I'm no longer a passive reader. Now I'm thinking "Where am I in all of this?", what is my opinion on these laws, taking into account the modern times I live in. And given all of this, how do I continue the long chain of Jewish tradition. It could all be summed up in one question: "What is my responsibility as a Jew?".

For the Jews who live in Israel, the situation is not simple. The Zionist Ideology that started at the end of the 19th century did not particularly arise from a religious perspective. The state of Israel throughout its years has emphasized the Sabre, the Israeli worker and fighter over the studious and contemplative Jew. That's why we find today in modern Israel two groups. The religious orthdox who want a country of Halacha, a country that keeps Parashat Mishpatim almost literally. And on the other side, a secular population for whom the Halacha of Parashat Mishpatim is archaic and irrelevant. This situation arose from years of neglect in the field of Jewish education and the secular population is fed up with religion being attached to the state.

And this is where the most important role of the IMPJ lies. This is also the reason why I, at the age of 18, decided to join the reform movement. As a kid growing up secular, I felt that it wasn't right that I didn't have a clue when it came to Judaism. I felt that the Jewish identity is way to important in my family history to be taken for granted. I was lucky enough to work with youth from the diaspora and observe different models of being Jewish. To know that I don't have to return to orthodoxy, to start wearing black and to study all day in Yeshiva in order to get a rich Jewish education. To know that I don't have to sit separately from my mother at the shul to get a spiritual Shabbth experience. This is the message I wanted to bring to Israeli society, this is the mission I've felt. We must change the way Israelis grasp their Jewish Identity and there couldn't be any more suitable organization for this task, than the IMPJ.

In recent years, we have been witnessing an increase in interest of the secular population in the services the Israeli movement provides. It turns out that due to the current financial and security crises many have returned to look for a community, for a sense of togetherness, for new spirituality and meaning. Research that has been done recently in Bar-Ilan University has found 40 new groups that define themselves as secular and meet regularly to celebrate Kabbalat Shabbat. And this has all happened in the last four years. We have seen an increase in adult bible, Talmud and Kabbalah studies. We've seen major demands for reform weddings and reform conversions. A recent survey that was ordered by the Progressive Movement showed that most Israelis are interested in reform-oriented Jewish education at secular schools. One of the major achievements, of recent years, was that the state of Israel has agreed to fund the buildings of four reform congregations.

A project especially close to my heart is Mechina – An educational project for students, who have just finished high-school and decide to take a gap year before army service. This year is dedicated to studies and social action. In the mechina, the participants shape their jewish communal lives and decide what form their spiritual life will take. That's exactly the kind of responsibility for your own Jewish life that I was talking about. Because the mechina is so new, I didn't have the opportunity to participate. But I have been lucky enough this year to serve as a member of its teaching staff. This year, the ministry of Education has decided to sponsor a large part of the operating costs, making it the first reform education project that has been formally recognized by the state of Israel.

Despite all of this success, the challenges are many. The market survey I've already mentioned has also found that one third of Israel's Jewish population doesn't know what Reform Judaism is and another equally large proportion has the wrong idea of what Reform Judaism really is. We need to improve how we get our message across and how to spread it more widely. We need to find resources to continue addressing the burning issues in Israeli public life.

Now I would like to return to Parashat Mishpatim because these laws are not just individual guidelines, but serve as common ground. They remind us of our shared journey, the journey that Jews in Israel and the Diaspora must take together. Parashat Mishpatim reminds us of our one destiny and that we are dependent on one another. A few months ago I facilitated a discussion with a group of Americans who contribute regularly to the state of Israel but do not feel that they have the right to influence its policies. I said to them that it's your duty to try to effect Israel's policies, not because of your generous contributions, but because Israel is a joint venture. Every action that Israel takes, effects you in the Diaspora as well. Our destiny is a shared one, our mission is a common one. We could in our lives achieve a state of affairs where Jewish identity in Israel is no longer taken for granted. We could enable a moral and educational code that nurtures both Jewish values and those values of the modern world that encourage equality, tolerance and human rights. And in the end, to encourage this outcome is our joint responsibility.