Promoting Religious Pluralism
Did you know...
...Although Israel is a democracy, important life-cycle events, such as marriage, divorce, burial and conversion are controlled by an Orthodox hegemony that has alienated Israeli Jews of diverse religious orientations. In addition, over the last two decades, Israel has absorbed over one million immigrants from the Former Soviet Union (FSU), most of whom arrived with little or no knowledge of Jewish culture and heritage and of which approximately 250,000 are of questionable halakhic Jewish identity. As a result, many of the country's citizens feel disconnected from their Jewish identity, resulting in a growing chasm between the religious and secular in Israel.
SHATIL's Religious Pluralism Project aims to reverse the detachment many Israelis feel from their Jewish identity and practice and strives to foster Jewish pluralism and promote religious tolerance on all levels in Israel.
SHATIL's Religious Pluralism Project:
Advances the equal status of women in the Religious (Orthodox) community, including defending the civil rights of women whose husbands refuse to grant them a divorce (called agunot and mesuravot get, in Hebrew) through SHATIL partner International Coalition of Agunah Rights (ICAR.)
• Backs civil burial and assisted Ne'emani Torah v'Avoda join in the struggle, marking the first time an Orthodox organization has joined Eternal Rest, a coalition which works to ensure the right to a civil burial in the Jerusalem.
• Trained over 25 religious pluralism organization directors learn and practice methods to define, refine, and market their core messages.
