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| B'nai Yeshurin |
A large New York City synagogue cheered the decision of the U.N. creating the state of Palestine, according to press reports.
Congregation B'nai Jeshurun, a large synagogue on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, is well known for its charismatic rabbis, very musical prayer services and its extreme liberal positions on social issues.
But on Friday, when their rabbis and lay leaders sent an e-mail enthusiastically supporting the United Nations vote to upgrade Palestine to a state observer, the statement was more than even some of its famously liberal parishioners could bear.
"The U.N. vote yesterday is a great moment for us, as citizens of the world," the e-mail that was sent to all members of the congregation, said. "This is an opportunity to celebrate the process that allows a nation to come forward and ask for recognition."
The statement, in a time when the U.N. vote was rejected by the governments of the U.S. and
Israel, as well as many of the leaders of American Jewish organizations, reflects a split between
American Jews and willingness to disagree publicly with Israel.
Clergy in several Jewish congregations have, in various ways, acted favorably on the U.N. vote. But B'nai Jeshurun is remarkable for its size and importance and the congregation's reaction was swift. Allan Ripp, a member, said he and his wife were horrified.
"We are in a kind of shock," he said. "It's not like we do not support the two-state solution, but say this like a warm hug, is like a high-five to the PLO, and that has left us dumbfounded
