IDF Officers Visit Taube Family Campus in Jerusalem

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A group of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Officers from the Home Front command who have been serving in reserve duty continuously since October 7 visited the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Taube Family Campus in Jerusalem. The visit was organized by second-year Israel Rabbinical Program student Michael Gilinski.

 

The group of officers heard a talk about the Reform Prayer Book Tfilat HaAdam by its co-editor Rabbi Dalia Marx, Ph.D., Rabbi Aaron D. Panken Professor of Liturgy and Midrash. She spoke about the many prayer books of different ethnic groups, denominations, and traditions, as well as their development. Rabbi Marx described the Reform outlook and focused on prayers for the IDF Soldiers, the State of Israel, the Kaddish, the Amida and the Morning Blessings. She also discussed the modern poems incorporated in the siddur as a relevant and profound addition, of gender equality and of options for future developments. Rabbi Marx described the 220 new prayers she collected which were written following and because of the events on October 7, 2023.

 

A session with Rabbi Michael Marmur, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Jewish Theology, followed with a survey of the factions of Judaism that arose following modernity and he discussed the major differences between them and the Reform Movement.

 

The visit concluded with a tour of the campus and Rabbi Marmur provided information on the history of the College in Israel. This was many of the IDF Officers’ first encounter with the Reform movement and they were excited to learn more about the movement.

HUC-JIR thanks the officers for their service and commitment to continued learning.