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CANDLELIGHTING

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THE JEWISH VIEW

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HOLIDAYS

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JUDAISM 101

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{weblog_name} - Israel’s Injustice Minister and American Jews
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Every time I’ve personally heard or read about Israel Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman, I’ve been impressed with this worldly, intellectual figure who has strived to reach across his nation’s divides. The modern Orthodox Neeman advised both Prime Ministers Menachem Begin in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and then Binyamin Netanyahu in the 1990s and now again as Finance Minister. In 1997, Netanyahu tapped Neeman when the “conversion crisis” ruptured both the Knesset and Israel-Diaspora ties. Neeman came up with a plausible option of conversion courts (aimed mostly at helping Russians in Israel). They were run by representatives of various Jewish streams and the final testing was by state-paid Orthodox rabbis. In Israel, that’s real progress. Throughout, Mr. Neeman – a professor of law—has been measured, reflective and filled with integrity. So his remarks last week were stunning. At… read more