Friends of Hiddush,

"Growing ultra-Orthodox impact on Israel is a greater threat to Israel than Ahmedinejad"
Ephraim Haley, former head of the Mossad, shared earlier this month. The Governor of the Bank of Israel remarked that the non-participation of ultra-Orthodox men in the workforce is the biggest obstacle to Israel’s economic well-being. Expressions of grave concern such as these are mounting, reminding us the urgency of advancing religious freedom and equality in Israel.

Your help and participation is critical. Help Hiddush make the change necessary by signing our vision, and help us continue our work by donating. Your support enables us to raise consciousness, mobilize support and advocate through such projects as our social media advocacy recruitment, our Russian-language outreach and our Hebrew language news center.

With many thanks,
Stanley P. Gold and Rabbi Uri Regev
Hiddush Chair and CEO

Tzohar's sign at the entrance to Jerusalem saying "Continue to marry with Tzohar! Mazel Tov! Thank you to Israel for the amazing support". Photo: Nataly Prytykovsky, Hiddush

Hiddush shows that freedom cannot have a double speak

Tzohar, an organization of Modern Orthodox rabbis, who seek to make the rabbinic system in Israel more user-friendly, have faced jeopardy to their flagship wedding project by the Chief Rabbinate and the Ministry of Religious Services.

CEO of Hiddush, Rabbi Uri Regev, calls attention to Tzohar’s objectionable use of double speak: in appealing to Diaspora non-Orthodox Jewry to join their fight and pressure Netanyahu, Tzohar urged for cooperation against “the coercive Chief Rabbinate”, while in Israel, the thrust of their campaign focused on denigration of Reform Judaism and civil marriages.

Regev applauds Tzohar’s contributions, but reminds us that while Tzohar requested the support of non-Orthodox Jewish leadership in the States, their “victory for the Jewish People” is, in actuality, diametrically opposed to the diverse Jewish practice of that constituency.

Hiddush CEO Rabbi Uri Regev's op-ed in the Jewish Week »

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Hiddush report to Trajtenberg Committee a great success

Vice President of Hiddush Shahar Ilan gave testimony before the Trajtenberg Committee, appointed to respond to this summer's social protest movement, emphasizing the connection between the economic crisis and issues of religion and state.

Trajtenberg’s proposal was highly reflective of Hiddush’s recommendations. Hiddush’s effectiveness and public impact can be seen in ultra-Orthodox media, who dubs the Committee’s recommendations as “Hiddush’s Torah” and the accusation by the Knesset Finance Committee Chair, MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni that the Committee relies on Shahar Ilan as their advisor on ultra-Orthodox affairs.

Hiddush polling demonstrates that 78% of the Israeli Jewish public [90% of the secular] supports the Committee’s recommendations regarding the ultra-Orthodox. 87% support obligating the ultra-Orthodox to do military or national service, 80% hold that ultra-Orthodox educational institutions should be obligated to implement core curriculum including math, sciences, English and civics. 79% support reducing the public funding for yeshivas.

The battle is now over the implementation, since the ultra-Orthodox leadership have vowed to thwart the Committee’s recommendations.

Yeshivat Toldot Aharon in Mea Shearim. Photographer: Yosi Zamir, Flash90

Hiddush's report to the Trajtenberg Committee.

Recommendations of the Trajtenberg Committee.

Hiddush's polling on the reactions of Jewish Israelis to the Committee's Recommendations.

Haaretz's coverage of Hiddush's polling.

Women being forced out of the public sphere

The past few months have seen event after event of women's disappearance from public spaces: 19 retired army generals recently turned to the Ministry of Defense to protest the trend of the corrosion of status of women in the army as gender segregation intensifies in the IDF. Recent advertising campaigns have completely excluded female images because of ultra-Orthodox clientele. Streets in ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods illegally segregate men and women.

Hiddush polling shows 89% of the Jewish public in Israel sees recent expressions of religious rigidity resulting with gender segregation in ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods and on bus lines as a distortion of Judaism (42%) or exaggerated and unnecessary (47%). Hiddush continues to partner with other likeminded organizations to ensure that this infringement on women's rights, bodies and voices will be stopped!

Protest against bus segregation, Flash90

Vice President Shahar Ilan in the Financial Times, JTA and The Forward.

Hiddush in the fight for Councilwoman Azaria in The Jerusalem Post.

Hiddush's opposition to recent proposed all-male committee appointments, as covered by Ha’aretz and The Jerusalem Post.

Hiddush's polling on the recent erasure of women in public space.

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