Jewish Women in Reform Settings in Israel: Past, Present, and Personal

התנועה הרפורמית זהות יהודית-ישראלית חילונים מסורת וחידוש נשים קהילה

This ethnographic paper explores the changing face of the Reform Movement in Israel through the stories of active women in the "Beit Daniel" congregation in Tel Aviv. Dr. Libel-Hass traces the transition of the movement from a predominantly English-speaking immigrant enclave to a more native Israeli community. Through interviews with women of different generations, the study highlights a shift in identity where the older immigrant generation views the movement through the lens of Western liberalism and imported religious identity, whereas the younger native-born generation connects to it through a search for egalitarianism, local culture, and a "secular-spiritual" Israeli identity. The paper argues that women play a pivotal role in this process of "indigenization" of the Reform movement.