It had never occurred to me that rabbinical schools would be graduating anti-Zionist rabbis until I read the May 29th article in eJewish Philanthropy about the controversy over Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC) admitting anti-Zionist students into their seminary.

According to eJewish Philanthropy, HUC President Andrew Rehfeld hit back against Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch’s condemnation of the Reform seminary’s ordination of anti-Zionist clergy, calling his comments “an attack on the very Enlightenment principles that founded our movement.”

This “public clash” erupted at the May 27th Re-Charging Reform Judaism conference at the Stephen Wise Synagogue, where Rabbi Hirsch is the senior rabbi.

So, if I am to interpret this correctly, in the interest of liberal education, we have to tell rabbinic students that it’s ok to reject the legitimacy of a Jewish homeland? Truly, I can’t fathom how this could be okay!

Rehfeld admits that he doesn’t “see it as a success if somebody comes out of our institution and says, ‘I’m proudly an anti-Zionist.’ ” He admits that “it’s insensitive right now in the Jewish community.” But, nevertheless, he accepts the outcome as “an unfortunate but necessary risk that comes at the cost of openness that I believe is the only way we’re going to train future Jewish leaders for the challenges of the world today.”

Seriously? I can understand allowing students to wrestle out loud with their discomfort........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)