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Bernhard Rosenberg

Do not destroy Israel and Judaism

I have no problem with the Reform and Conservative movements protesting and attempting to obtain equal recognition in Israel. Personally, I believe that the prayer issue at the kotel will be resolved. Regarding conversions, there is definitely a problem. The issue I do have, is that these movements are discussing ways of no longer giving money to Israel. As a child of Holocaust survivors whose immediate and extended family including two siblings, could have been saved if there was a state of Israel, I am disgusted by this attitude. Without the state of Israel, anti-Semitism, which is spiraling upwards, will only get significantly worse. Intermarriage is no Mitzvah. While I understand that Jews on campus can as easily fall in love with a non Jew as with a Jew, if the non Jew does not convert, what assurance is there that the children from this marriage will observe any type of Judaism. Soon we will have orthodoxy and Conserva-reform movements. How can conservative Rabbis conduct ceremonies when one of the parties is not Jewish? It is my understanding as a RAbbi that my authority lies in my ability to conduct Jewish marriages where both parties are Jewish. I pray that we will help to strengthen Israel and not destroy it.

About the Author
Rabbi Dr. Bernhard H. Rosenberg, rabbi emeritus of Congregation Beth-El, Edison, New Jersey received his ordination and doctorate of Education from Yeshiva University in New York. He also possesses A.A., B.A., M.A., and M.S. degrees in communication and education. He possesses a Doctor of Divinity from the Jewish Theological Seminary, New York. He taught at Rutgers University in New Jersey and Yeshiva University in New York. His books include: “Theological and Halachic Reflections on the Holocaust,” “Contemplating the Holocaust,” “The Holocaust as Seen Through Film,” and "Echoes of the Holocaust."