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(JTA) — A brand new affiliation of egalitarian Jewish congregations has launched in Germany, within the newest consequence of a scandal that has been unfolding inside German Judaism for almost a yr.
The Jewish-Liberal Egalitarian Union, or JLEV based on its German acronym, marks a break up with the present physique representing liberal Judaism in Germany, the Union of Progressive Jews.
The 2 teams each characterize non-Orthodox synagogues in Germany, however the UPJ was created as a subsidiary of the World Union of Progressive Judaism, primarily based in the UK. The brand new group, alternatively, is overseen by the Central Council of Jews in Germany, whose position contains distributing authorities funding to Jewish establishments.
“A liberal affiliation beneath the umbrella of the Central Council strengthens the thought of variety in unity,” a spokesman for the group advised JTA in explaining the motivation behind the transfer.
The essential distinction between the 2 teams, nevertheless, isn’t who oversees them however that JLEV has no affiliation with Walter Homolka, the rabbi on the heart of the continuing scandal.
Homolka was a founding father of the UPJ in 1997, in addition to of a number of different German Jewish organizations together with its progressive seminaries. Since allegations broke final Could that he had abused his energy because the rector of the liberal Abraham Geiger School rabbinical college, Homolka has stepped again from his many roles in German Jewish organizations.
However after the embattled rabbi declined to run for an additional time period as UPJ chair within the final election in December, a brand new board was elected that, critics stated, was pleasant to Homolka and confirmed little sympathy for many who claimed they’d been harmed by him.
“We really feel we’re not represented any extra by the UPJ,” Rebecca Seidler, head of the liberal Jewish communities of Hanover and chair of the State Affiliation of the Jewish Communities of Decrease Saxony, advised the Jewish Telegraphic Company on the time.
Now, Seidler is a cofounder of the brand new group, and her neighborhood is among the 9 to affix it. The brand new group says it can provide grownup schooling and youth applications. It additionally requires members to adjust to a strict moral code.
Seidler and different JLEV founders stated in an announcement that they decided it was “essential to arrange a separate umbrella group” after the UPJ responded “in a wierd approach” to the accusations in opposition to Homolka.
“They trivialized, relativized and took a one-sided strategy, failing to contemplate and take note of the crucial voices of member communities,” the group’s assertion stated.
Precisely what it means for Germany to have two progressive Jewish congregational associations is unsure.
The Germany break up isn’t the primary change in European progressive Jewish communities this week. Earlier, Britain’s liberal and Reform Jewish organizations merged into a brand new “Progressive Judaism” motion throughout the World Union of Progressive Judaism.
However whereas the group welcomed that improvement, a spokesperson advised JTA in an e-mail that it “isn’t making any remark at the moment” in regards to the modifications in Germany.
It’s estimated that, out of about 90,000 registered members of Jewish communities in Germany, about 5,000 affiliate with liberal or egalitarian congregations. There could also be as many as 100,000 extra individuals who establish as Jewish however don’t belong to a proper neighborhood.
The UPJ at the moment lists 32 member communities, together with the 9 defectors. It would proceed to characterize liberal communities throughout Germany — at the least for now, and so long as communities select to ally themselves with it.
“From an organizational logic, it doesn’t make sense for communities to be members of each organizations,” the Central Council spokesperson advised the JTA, including that whereas the council has no authorized obligation to help the UPJ, “as a corporation of liberal Judaism, wherein some member congregations of the Central Council are additionally members, it can proceed to be supported based on the rules of the Central Council.”
Talks are underway a couple of formal funding settlement for JLEV.
As for the UPJ, concern in regards to the competing group seems to be slight.
“Each liberal Jew has the liberty to prepare himself,” UPJ chair Irith Michelsohn advised the Jewish Telegraphic Company in an e-mail, noting that she had identified in regards to the launch of the brand new group “for a while already.” She added, “There are not any modifications for us.”
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