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NEWS
Rabbi Ravitz Requests Information About Reform and
Conservative Activities
by Betzalel Kahn
Last week, UTJ MK Rabbi Avrohom Ravitz asked officials in
the Religious Affairs Ministry responsible for the Law of
Freedom of Information, for information about Conservative
and Reform organizations subsidized by the Religious Affairs
Ministry.
The request was made after the Center for Jewish Pluralism
of the Reform movement asked the Religious Affairs Ministry
for reports on various institutions and organizations
subsidized by the Ministry. In the wake of this demand,
Rabbi Ravitz said that he doesn't oppose giving statistics
to public bodies who are sincerely concerned about proper
government functioning, such as the Movement for the Quality
of the Government, but that it is not proper that statistics
be given to a group whose only purpose is to subvert
religious bodies.
Rabbi Ravitz then told yeshiva directors to take advantage
of their rights under the Law for Freedom of Information,
from the year 5758, clause 23. This clause deals with a
situation in which information which includes details about
a third party and is liable to harm that party is requested.
It proceeds to state that if, indeed, the public authority
from whom the information is requested is considering
enabling the requesting party to receive it, the authority
must inform the third party (in this case the yeshivos)
about the request and about its right to oppose transfer of
this information. If a person or body receives such a
notice, he may inform the authority within 21 days that he
opposes the request.
Concomitantly, last week Rabbi Ravitz requested information
about various associations linked to the Reform and
Conservative movements, such as the Center for Jewish
Pluralism, Beit Shmuel, Hebrew Union College, the Worldwide
Movement of Progressive Judaism, and the Reform Movement in
Israel -- all bodies which are subsidized by government
ministries, among them the Religious Affairs and the
Education Ministries.
Rabbi Ravitz asked for information about the annual
subsidies these bodies have received over the past five
years. Information regarding these subsidies must be
detailed and must include the personal salaries of all
directors of these bodies, details of subsidies for
lectures, for maintenance and for the purchase of cars, as
well as audits of these bodies.
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