Israel Matzav

Aharon Barak on Judaism

At a graduation ceremony of the Reform Movement in Israel, former President of Israel's Suprem Court, Aaron Barak, had this to say about Judaism:-

"Judaism is not made out of one skin (cloth). It has many different streams and different and counterposing outlooks. Thus, for example, if in the world of Judaism there exists of particularistic stream and a universal stream, it is but proper for an interpreter [he is referring to himself here as a judge who delivers a legal opinion on conversion, Temple Mount, etc. - YM], to adopt the universal stream, because this stream is more akin with the values of the state of Israel as a democratic state than the particularistic stream".

And by the way, let's not forget how he ended up on this Reform platform:-

Former High Court of Justice president Aharon Barak has agreed to accept an honorary doctorate from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, although he is to write the ruling on a petition by the college, which is the academic arm of the Movement for Progressive Judaism. The ceremony is to take place this morning at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

In raising the issue, Mordechai Eisenberg, the chairman of the Movement for Fairness in Government, the ultra-Orthodox version of the Movement for Quality Government, yesterday leveled a serious accusation at Barak: receiving favors from a party in a legal proceeding.

The Courts Administration confirmed the facts of the case but said the ruling would apparently be written by another justice. Barak finished his term on September 14, and was succeeded by Dorit Beinisch. According to the law, the outgoing court president has three months in which to write the rulings in all the cases in which he or she was involved.

Barak headed an expanded panel of seven justices in a petition submitted by the Israel Religious Action Center, the legal arm of the Movement for Progressive Judaism, against the Welfare Ministry. The petition demanded an end to the custom of placing non-Jewish children for adoption with Orthodox families only.

Panel member Justice Mishael Cheshin was replaced after his retirement by Justice Edmond Levy. However, Barak still appears in the file as head of the panel.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:41 AM