Har-El Synagogue

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The Har-El Synagogue (קהילת הר-אל) in Jerusalem is the oldest synagogue community of Reform Judaism in Israel. It was founded in 1958 by a group of German-speaking Israelis around Shalom Ben-Chorin , who is seen as the “spiritual father” of the community. This group emerged from the “Circle for the Renewal of Judaism in Israel”, which offered a diverse educational program; Speakers included Hugo Bergman , Martin Buber and Jeschajahu Leibowitz .

Beginnings

In the first few years, the members met in private apartments for worship. The rejection by the Orthodox Chief Rabbinate made it impossible to find a permanent place for the prayers. Setting up a Torah shrine was forbidden. The auditorium of the Jerusalem Music Academy had to be rented for the up to 300 participants for the services on the High Holidays. The services were disrupted and there were acts of vandalism.

Under these difficult conditions, it was thanks to the support of the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) that the Jerusalem community (now called the Circle for Progressive Judaism ) consolidated. The first rabbis were sent by the WUPJ and brought with them American reform siddurim.

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Synagogue building

The synagogue at 16 Shmuel Hanagid St. has existed since 1962, in a complex of three historic buildings that originally served as residential buildings. Philanthropist Robert E. Wishnick made it possible for the property to be acquired by the Israeli government and converted into a synagogue complex. Martin Buber, Mordechai Kaplan , Nelson Glueck , Herbert Weiner and Jay Kaufman , among others, were present at the inauguration . The first Kabbalat-Shabbat service on July 27, 1962 took place under police protection, as disruptions by ultra-Orthodox groups were feared. These did not materialize, although later there were repeated conflicts with Haredim .

liturgy

In the early 1970s, Har-El published the first siddur of the Israeli reform movement. The services take place in the national language (Hebrew) and are accompanied by music (guitar, piano or harp). Cantor Evan Cohen (since 2001) received his training at the Tel Aviv Cantorial Institute and was the first graduate of the reform movement at this institution, which is part of the Orthodoxy. As is customary in reform churches, men and women sit together.

rabbi

  • 1960 Eugene Lipman
  • 1960–1962 Jerome (Joseph) Unger
  • 1962–1964 André Chalom Zaoui
  • 1969–1981 André Chalom Zaoui
  • 1981–1996 Tovia Ben-Chorin
  • Since 2004: Rabbi Ada Zavidov received her education on the Jerusalem campus of the Hebrew Union College . .

Profile of the community

A large proportion of today's church members are secular Israelis who have turned to religion. The community is growing, and secular families also celebrate bar mitzvahs here . There is an extensive cultural and educational program, including Hebrew courses.

Har-El is involved in interreligious dialogue and supports the Women of the Wall .

Web links

literature

  • Christian Kraft: Ashkenaz in Jerusalem. The Religious Institutions of Immigrants from Germany in the Jerusalem District of Rechavia (1933–2004) - Transfer and Transformation . Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2014, ISBN 978-3-525-57034-0 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Christian Kraft: Ashkenaz in Jerusalem . S. 192 .
  2. ↑ Christian Kraft: Ashkenaz in Jerusalem . S. 272 .
  3. ↑ a b Christian Kraft: Ashkenaz in Jerusalem . S. 273 .
  4. ↑ Christian Kraft: Ashkenaz in Jerusalem . S. 274 .
  5. ↑ a b Le rabbin André Chalom Zaoui. Retrieved July 6, 2018 .
  6. ^ Interfaith Connections. In: Kehilat Har-El. Retrieved December 9, 2018 .

Coordinates: 31 ° 46 ′ 46.5 ″  N , 35 ° 12 ′ 52.1 ″  E