Separation+of+Shul+and+State?

= Welcome to Part II of Democracy, Separation of Shul and State in Israel? =

If the majority of the government votes for Jewish laws that affect all citizens of the country, is that democratic? Should Israel have a Jewish flavor to it in it governmental policies? How far should they go?

These are some of the issues we will be exploring in Parts I and II, Separation of Shul and State?



**(from last week's lesson, Part I: Separation of Shul and State? How far back does it go?)** **Watch this JETS video about Shabbat and Israel**: [|http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lSRZN25rX0&feature=player_embedded#!] media type="youtube" key="9lSRZN25rX0" height="408" width="546"

How is the modern siren sounded on Erev Shabbat in major cities in Israel reminiscent of Biblical times? Do you think Israel should have laws to support or enforce Shabbat? Which ones, and how to enforce – democratically or theocratically? How do you maintain Israel as a distinctly Jewish nation, while creating a welcoming environment for non or less observant Jews, as well as non-Jews? Is there an easy solution?

Choose one idea below(or think of your own): debate your point ** against **your partner: Ariel vs. Yoel Gabe vs. Yossi Yishai vs. Zeev || Debate! Post your response on the wiki from last week.
 * Mack vs. Jordan
 * 1) ** Nationally **
 * 2) Should public transportation, malls, TV stations, radios, etc. operate on Shabbat (currently some cities do, some don’t)?
 * 3) Should ElAl fly on Shabbat (currently, it does not)
 * 4) Driving is currently illegal on Yom Kippur – traffic lights flash red, police stop whoever drives; only medical emergencies are permitted. Do you support this? Why?
 * 5) **Citizenship -** Jews are granted automatic citizenship upon aliyah (Law of Return), non-Jews are not. Demographically, statistics predict that non-Jews (Arabs( will outnumber Jews in 40 years – then what?
 * 6) **Kosher food** – should non-kosher food or restaurants be permitted in Israel?

= Lesson 5: History of Leadership and Democracy in Israel: Separation of Shul and State: =

Read through this document for your assignment. media type="custom" key="10790692"

Mack's Krell presents: ANSHEI KNESSET HAGEDOLAH The anshei kenneset hagadolah was made up of 120 men, mostly sages and prophets. It was a very religious body who focused on religious problems and questions. The introduced the shemonah esrei, and they fixed many of the books of various prophets.