What place does Israel have in Reconstructionism?
Mordecai Kaplan believed that nowhere else could Jews live so completely a Jewish life as in Israel. However, because not all Jews intend or even desire to emigrate to Israel – nor did Kaplan believe that there is an imperative to do so – he envisioned that Jewish communities around the world ought to be interdependent. Such a relationship to Israel and to Jewish communities around the world, maintains Israel as central to our historical self definition and affirms our identity as a nation within the global family. One of the core principles as a Reconstructionist community is the support of Israel’s right to exist as an independent nation, which includes both advocating on behalf of policies and needs in Israel, as well as challenging policies if they contradict other sacred values. Over the past several years there has been an overall movement among Israelis for a more progressive approach towards Judaism which has led to a grass roots interest in articulating a non-orthodox paradigm
