Nearly 200 lay leaders and rabbis from the North American Reform movement held a peaceful opening ceremony at the Western Wall when they arrived for their jubilee mission to Israel. Dozens of police protected the delegation, anticipating possible harassment from fervently Orthodox Jews who had attempted to disrupt a Conservative movement prayer service on Shavuot. Still, Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, expressed disappointment at “being relegated to the far corner” of the Western Wall plaza. Yoffie also urged the government to prevent passage of any conversion legislation.
Reporting the stories that define our era. When history unfolds in real-time, the Jewish world turns to JTA. Your support ensures we can document the complexities of war and the resilience of Jewish communities with integrity.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
