Yoffie on Rivlin: I hope his views have really changed

Yesterday, in my Haaretz article, I called on Israeli Presidential candidate Ruby Rivlin to answer the following question: If he is elected president of the State of Israel, will he address Reform rabbis by the title “rabbi”? How he — and other candidates — responded to this question is in today’s Jerusalem Post. Here is an excerpt from that article. 

 

“Former Union for Reform Judaism president Rabbi Eric Yoffie attacked Rivlin in Haaretz Monday, complaining that when Rivlin ran for president seven years ago, he refused to call him rabbi. He challenged Rivlin to clarify if his views had changed since he called a Reform service “idol worship and not Judaism” 25 years ago.

A source close to Rivlin responded that he “has always received Rabbi Yoffie respectfully and will continue to have a wonderful relationship with Diaspora Jews.”  …. “Rabbi Gilad Kariv, the director- general of the Reform Movement in Israel, said the candidates for president had called him rabbi and been respectful to him. “I expect all the candidates for president to respect the Jewish world,” Kariv said. “Rivlin has been more hostile than the others but I hope things have changed with him.” Hatnua faction chairman Meir Sheetrit and Shechtman said they saw no reason not to call Reform rabbis by their title.

“If in the eyes of their constituents he or she is a rabbi, he or she is also a rabbi for me,” Shechtman said. “ What is your opinion? Is Rivlin’s response enough for you? Please leave your comments at: http://ericyoffie.com/rivlin-2014-05-27/