"May the Memory of the Man Stand as a Sign and Example": The Israeli Reform Movement's Liturgical Commemoration of Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Day

דמוקרטיה דת ומדינה התנועה הרפורמית זהות יהודית-ישראלית חילונים טקסים רצח רבין

This study examines the liturgical and ritualistic response of the Israeli Reform Movement to the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. Based on fieldwork conducted between 2024 and 2025, which included participant observations, interviews with rabbis, and textual analysis of prayers and sermons, the authors explore how the movement navigates the tension between religion and democracy. The article argues that the Reform movement creates a "religious-liberal framework" for commemoration. Unlike the state's often depoliticized ceremonies or the Orthodox community's ambivalence, Reform Judaism actively incorporates Rabin Memorial Day into the religious calendar (e.g., declaring it a fast day, composing a special Yizkor). By doing so, they seek to establish a democratic civic discourse grounded in Jewish values, positioning the movement as an integral part of the Israeli public sphere and reclaiming religious language to promote peace and human rights.