The decency required in presenting things in their real light even when it applies to subjects related to the chareidi public was altogether lacking this past Monday in the Israeli media. On bold headlines, and as if the subject related to the body responsible on White House issues, it became known that the Trustees of the Jewish Agency cancelled a meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu in the wake of the freezing of the Kotel Plan. However, had they also presented details regarding this archaic and veiled body, the Jewish Agency, namely the Reform and Conservatives, the drama would not have been in place. The Jewish Agency, which was established with the purpose of drawing Jewish to the Holy Land and absorbing them therein, has turned from being a promoter of aliya among Diaspora Jewry to a body encouraging and supporting activities of Reform and Conservative groups in Israel.
In a survey made by Yated Ne'eman, it was found that the Jewish Agency supports and abets activities of Reform and Conservative organizations in the religious area in Israel - namely, Reform `conversions', conferring rabbinical ordination, funding temples and so on. The Jewish Agency extends only nominal support to Orthodox organizations, hardly touching religious and educational institutions while mainly promoting social activities. The survey revealed a painful fact: alongside a government network which allocates budgets on a democratic basis, another network has been established, receiving a budget for the purpose of immigrant absorption but siphoning it off for Reform services. Yigal Felmor, Agency spokesman, wrote to us then, "The funding transferred by the Jewish Agency to different streams in Israel, is intended to fill needs which are not covered by the State. Rabbinical colleges of the Reform and Conservative movements do not receive budgets for `rabbinical' training while yeshivos and Orthodox institutions do receive such funding. This is why the Jewish Agency deems it proper to assist in the training of Reform and Conservative `rabbis'."
A clear-cut statement: the Jewish Agency is geared to help the Reform, in place of the government which represents the Orthodox majority.
But the major demagoguery surfaced again this past Monday with the trite claim as if donations to the State by American Jewry will suffer gravely. This claim rests upon the idea that the majority of American Jewry identifies with those dangerous movements. This fact has never been proven and is not so.
On the contrary, the Chief Rabbi David Lau stated emphatically in an interview with Yated Ne'eman, "Accurate surveys show that the majority of Jews in America are not affiliated with any movement, and it is precisely the Reform which are in decline. In my visits abroad, I am invited to places which are sadly far removed from Torah observance, but they are interested to meet and become acquainted with authentic Judaism guided by traditional Halacha."
In addition, where, precisely, do the donations of Reform philanthropy go? Most of the money from American Reform and Conservation organizations goes to support pluralistic activities against the Jewish identity in the Holy Land, such as the Kotel Women and others. And surely, they will continue to support these even after the Kotel Plan is frozen.
