To the Editor:
I invite Ron Dermer, in whatever position he serves, to bring his "American sensibilities" to the issues of religious freedom for all Jews, regardless of gender or adjective, within the the Jewish State of Israel. Given his close relationship with Natan Sharansky, who has just been charged by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to focus on this issue with respect to the Western Wall, Dermer is well positioned to assist Sharansky unravel the dysfunctional knot of Jewish law that is strangling religious freedom within Israel.
I urge Dermer to work with Sharansky to secure the spiritual civil rights of all Jews to practice Judaism without restriction — such freedom of religious expression is explicitly mentioned in Israel’s Declaration of Independence. That would be very wise and pragmatic move, strengthening the bonds between the Jewish people and the Jewish state.
Francine M. Gordon
Beachwood, Ohio
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