Read What Leading Rabbis Had to Say at Our Conference on the Future of Modern Orthodoxy...

Rabbi Yuval Sherlow

The Future of Modern Orthodoxy: The term that we need to adopt today is "Religious Zionism -l'hatchila." "Religious Zionism" and not "Modern Orthodoxy", which in my opinion is not a good term, for many reasons. The term "Religious Zionism" emphasizes the fact that we are not only trying to solve the internal problems of our own stream, but rather that we are speaking about all of the people of Israel. In a period in which our youth dream of the "State of Judah" and of "Kingdom of Israel" without democracy, we have to go back to "Religious Zionism", a term which emphasizes the fact that we are part of the state.

L'hatchila (from the inception), because we believe that the essence of Judaism is Religious Zionism and any other way is only part of the picture. If we don't speak in the language of l'chathila, there is not much chance that our children and students will continue in our footsteps.

If we continue to be halachic decision-makers who insist on thinking of Jews as private entities and don't think of halachic decisions as meant for Klal Yisrael; if we don't begin to ask ourselves if the halachic decisions we make are appropriate for all of Israeli society; if we don't ask ourselves how a Jewish state should look according to general halacha-we have failed in our task.

Correction of the Religious Zionist Educational Stream: The stream that sends most of its graduates to the field of education is the Hardali stream. I am very worried about this situation, which will bring us to a different path of education. The first thing which is necessary for us is a strengthening of commitment. The only way is when our students feel that they are dedicating their lives to education, and towards this end they will give up their other dreams. The central thing that will guarantee the future of Religious Zionism is education, and this is the central way to save Religious Zionism from extinction, which is what happened to Poalei Agudat Yisrael. The danger of extinction exists, and we have to start working so this won't happen; nothing will happen by itself.

Bnei Akiva: The only thing that needs to be done is simply to be there, in Bnei Akiva; to be there and to confront opinions differing from ours, not to run away from controversy, to fight and to prove that Bnei Akiva has to be an organization which includes differing views within Religious Zionism. Without using terms of compromise and inclusion, Bnei Akiva will cease to exist.

Many times the feeling among our opponents is that they, the "hardalnikim", can't compromise, and that therefore they won't let a "communarit" appear on stage, for example, but that we can compromise, and therefore the communarit won't appear on stage. The moment that we make it clear that it is very important for us that our girls and female students be able to appear on stage, and that, as far as we are concerned, on this subject there can be no compromise, then we can discuss the issue and find a solution. That is the meaning of l'chatchila-if we don't think of ourselves as something that is l'chatchila, we can't blame things on our opponents.

An Alternative to the Rabbinate: We don't need to be an alternative rabbinate, we need to be the rabbinate, and in order to be the rabbinate we need first of all to decide that this is important to us-we haven't yet decided that; we still haven't determined that the question of the Jewish character of the state of Israel is important to us. After that we need to adopt the an all-encompassing public halachic viewpoint, and to stop embracing a halachic viewpoint that only emphasizes the private sphere. If we decide that this is important to us we will create the conditions that will allow this to happen-encouraging our sons and daughters to continue on the path of Torah study, and to be in positions of influence in the Torah world, and if we adopt the general public viewpoint in halachic decisions-we will be able to become not an alternative rabbinate, but rather the rabbinate.

Rabbi Shaul Farber:

The Future of Modern Orthodoxy: Modern Orthodoxy suffers from three problems:
1. Our message is not clear enough, it's a little elitist and if we continue to define ourselves as neither "right" nor "left" our time is finished.
2. A lack of power and influence. We suffer from a lack of ability to translate our values into political power.
3. Commitment: How committed really are we to Modern Orthodoxy? Are we willing to invest time, money and action these values? If not, our days are numbered.

Conversion: We can't let a group of militant rabbis take over the religious life of the country.

Alternative Rabbinate: Do we have the will and the combined strength to say that we are "retaking" the rabbinate? I am sitting next to the most popular rabbi in Israel (Rabbi Sherlow, editors's note) but also next to somebody who has no chance of becoming the next Chief Rabbi of Israel. The rabbinate isn't only an ideological issue, its also a political issue. What will enable us to "be" the rabbinate is our desire for change. The chief rabbi of my city (Raanana) won't let me officiate at weddings, because I am " too left-wing". Is this an ideological issue? It's a political reality. We have to find solutions to the question of the rabbinate.

Rabbi Daniel Sperber

Modern Orthodoxy: We are struggling against a strong ideological front, the haredi (ultra-orthodox) public. Also, within our ranks there is a move in this direction. The only real kashrut certification is "badatz:" and the kashrut certification of the "rabbinate" is invalid; the conversions are not serious and can be cancelled after a decade. The haredi public lives in fear of the "Eda Haredit" which has "daat Torah" which decides where it is permissible to build a hospital and where it is not permissible to build. A Hassidic Admor is close to "shechina", the head of a Lithuanian yeshiva is almost a Pope, this is "daat Torah" and anyone who says anything else will be labeled "Reform". We don't give enough support to our leaders, in comparison to the backing which the haredi community gives to its leaders. There is a good reason for this, a liberal halachic viewpoint recognizes the right of the individual to think and decide for himself.

But within Modern Orthodoxy, many positive things are occurring; a revolution within the world of Torah study for women, egalitarian-style minyans, which, as is well-known, I support, and, in general, I believe that in the future, women will have a meaningful role in halachic decision-making and in shaping of halacha and in the synagogue. All of these things are changing and will change the profile of our community. Some of the members of our community will join the haredi community as a result of these processes, but those in the center will stay. If the hardalnikim will continue to neglect the needs of their community, those who demand that the halacha be more relevant to them and consider more and more the weight of human dignity, there will be a revolution against them, which will in the end bring about a strengthening of the values of Modern Orthodoxy.

The Halacha and the Message of Modern Orthodoxy: Maagalei Zedek was a real discovery. Suddenly it was shown that halacha had a message to deliver in the area of social justice. Afterwards it was discovered that halacha has something to say about ecology. Rabbis and educators have to emphasize more and more the halachic position in these areas, this will bring about a change in the profile of the future generation of Religious Zionism.

Conversion: We have been de-legitimized. Our rabbis, our educational institutions, we have been suffering from the de-legitimization by the haredi and hardal public for too long. Our dayanim (religious judges) receive their instructions from above, and the fact that the religious life in the state of Israel is decided by two or three "gedolai olam" (religious leaders) is inconceivable and has to be changed. We have to know with confidence that what we are doing is right from a halachic perspective, and not to look over our shoulders and be afraid that the haredim won't accept it. We will not go forward in this way...

Rabbanit Chana Henkin

Before the nineties there was an almost uniform design on all of the kippot in the Religious Zionist community. The dances at weddings and Simchat Torah were all similar. Today I see people who don't want to label themselves, people whose individualism is loudly evident, and there are different points of view and opinion.

Religious Zionist Youth. Religious Zionism is the most lively and interesting in Israel today, and there is progress in many areas. In the last two years, yoetzot halacha (female halachic advisors) gave around 100, 000 halachic tshuvot (answers) and there are female rabbinic pleaders and Talmidot chachamot. There is community involvement, there are "garinim toraniim", Maagalei Tzedek and the rabbis of Tzohar, an organization which wrestles with the questions which are facing the state of Israel today. We find fewer and fewer people who want to label themselves. Also educators in yeshivot tichoniot (high school yeshivas) come from a different background. In the nineties the dominant ideology among educators in the yeshivot tichoniot was that if we settled another hilltop, the Messiah would come and today, we see that this ideology doesn't exist anymore, but these processes take time.

I say to my students: you will be the educators of the future generation and I believe that in this area we will see change.

We haven't learned how to make ourselves heard, we don't fight enough, we haven't learned how to insist on certain things, unlike the haredi public. I believe that with the help of a new generation of Talmidai chachamim and Talmidot chachamot, we will have the ability to exercise greater influence within the Israeli public and within the Religious Zionist public.