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Symposium: The Rabbis' Letter - A Threat to Society and Democracy?

Event Date(s):
1/17/2011 - 1/17/2011
Prof. Mordechai Kremnitzer and Prof. Ruth Gavison

Prof. Mordechai Kremnitzer and Prof. Ruth Gavison address the symposium

The Rabbis' Letter, which prohibits selling or renting real estate in Israel to non-Jews, has created a public storm. Some see this prohibition as a religious requirement and a security necessity, while others see the anti-democratic letter as a desecration of the name of God, an affront to democracy, and an expression of moral collapse and national weakness. On Tuesday, January 18, 2011, this issue was addressed by experts in philosophy, law, and politics at a symposium sponsored by the Israel Democracy Institute, the Van Leer Institute, Hillel, and the Department of Jewish Thought at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Symposium on the Rabbis' Letter
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
The Van Leer Institute
43 Jabotinsky Street, Jerusalem
5:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Video icon Click here for full video coverage of this event (Hebrew)

 Related Material

Full Program


Symposium: The Rabbis' Letter - A Threat to Society and Democracy? 
  

5:30–6:30 p.m. 

 Session 1: Jewish Philosophy

Chair: Dr. Avinoam Rosenak

Participants:
Rabbi David Bigman
Rabbi David Druckman
Prof. Tamar Ross
Prof. Moshe Halbertal

7:00–8:20 p.m.  

Session 2: Law

Chair: Supreme Court Justice (Retired) Dalia Dorner

Participants:
Dr. Aviad Hacohen
Prof. Mordechai Kremnitzer
Prof. Yedidia Stern
Prof. Ruth Gavison 

8:30–9:50 p.m. 

Session 3: Politics

Chair: Prof. Yaffa Zilbershats

Participants:
MK Zevulun Orlev
Minister Ze'ev Binyamin (Benny) Begin
Minister Rabbi Moshe Gafni
Rabbi Prof. Naftali Rothenberg

 

 Prof. Yedidia Stern

IDI Vice President of Research Prof. Yedidia Z. Stern addresses the symposium

Invitation

Ad for symposium on the Rabbis' Letter