Tzahal (the IDF) gave their approval to give the siddurim to soldiers attending BTI services in Tel Aviv. Imagine, a progressive Friday evening service and 3-4,000 IDF soldiers. We plan to give each soldier the siddur they use to take home. Click here toA?contribute… to the Soldiers Siddur project.
With more than 50 years of liberal Judaism in Israel, one of the biggest challenges was and is always how to influence and impact the Israeli large society. The Orthodox delegitimation of the Reform and Conservative Movements in Israel succeeded in blocking Liberal Jewish movements from the heart and mainstream Israeli society.
For the past few years, something is changing.A? Many Reform and Conservative synagogues are blooming, and new and exciting unaffiliated indigenous Israeli liberal Jewish communities are emerging, attracting thousands of secular and traditional Israelis. One of these communities which became the flagship of the Jewish Israeli renaissance for the past few years is Beit Tefilah Israeli in Tel Aviv, which became famous for their Summer Kabbalat Shabbat at the Tel Aviv harbor, gathering 300-600 people every Friday night. (Click here to see a 2 min. video of the service.)
The homegrown nature of BTI enabled them to enter in to the core of the Israeli society, and today they are responsible for bringing Jewish liberal Shabbat services to the IDF! This is no less than revolutionary. Between 12-15 times a year, IDF officers courses and divisions are brought to Tel Aviv to experience a Tel Aviv Shabbat service, led by BTI spiritual leaders and musicians, with a liberal prayerbook.
The impact of this project is incalculable. Between 3000- 4000 IDF officers, who are the future leadership of Israel in any area, are exposed to a liberal way to celebrate Judaism. We feel that is our duty to use this powerful opportunity to give them a BTI Siddur as a present, for future use. We received the approval of the IDF Educational Office, to give this liberal Jewish-Israeli siddur which combines traditional prayers with new ones, Hebrew poetry, and spiritual Israeli songs.
For making this revolution happen, we need to raise $15,000 for printing the Siddurim, so we can give them as a present. This is a real opportunity to change things in the core of the Israeli Society, IDF officers.