Haaeretz reports today on a case that is about to be filed in Israel's High Court of Justice by the Religious Action Center of Israel's Movement for Progressive Judaism. It will seek to require the government to honor the request of the Gezer Community Council to allot one of the government paid city rabbinical positions to a Reform rabbi, Miri Gold, the rabbi of Kibbutz Gezer in central Israel. The case will raise two important questions: Is a Reform or Conservative rabbi entitled to receive a salary from the state as the rabbi of a community, and, if so, does this entitlement apply to a female rabbi? Currently, no liberal rabbi is recognized by the state as the rabbi of a neighborhood, community or city.
The Religious Action Center's release on the upcoming case says that they are not only seeking a position for Rabbi Gold, but a change in the procedures for qualifying for a salary as a community rabbi.
