Benjamin Shalit Research Paper

1680 Words4 Pages

After centuries of wandering, persecution, and exclusion, 1948 brought the Jewish people a homeland. Democracy sprung forth in the Middle East, and Jews from all corners of the globe began flooding into the small strip of Mediterranean coastland, rooting Israel in the international community. As the fledgling state moved forward, the world witnessed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict unfold, multiple wars ensue, and Israeli innovation lunge into the future. Even so, hidden in the midst of Israel's conflicts and accomplishments lay one of its most grievous offenses – religious persecution and intolerance. Messianic Jews, a sect of Judaism which embraces Jesus Christ as the promised Jewish Messiah, have endured decades of bigotry, hate crimes, …show more content…

Shortly after the “Brother Daniel“ case, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Shalit family. The Shalits maintained full citizenship rights, despite their choice to practice atheism. Benjamin Shalit, who represented himself in the proceedings stated, “Here I am, a little fellow, fighting against the heaviest odds. But if I win, a Jew will be a Jew by virtue of his own identification with the Jewish people, and not by virtue of halacha [Rabbinic Jewish Law] alone.”10 In the decades following their case, countless atheist, humanistic, and secular Jews have immigrated to Israel with ease. For Messianic Jews, however, this has not been the case and they have been forced to fight for every …show more content…

The aforementioned Calev Myers founded the Jerusalem Institute of Justice (JIJ) in 2004, with the purpose of securing civil rights and social justice for the Israeli people. Since 2006, the JIJ “ has successfully handled 390 cases of discrimination, including 17 Supreme Court victories dealing with citizenship and residency rights, freedom of worship, and the equal application of basic civil rights to all men regardless of religious or ethnic affiliation.”15 Creative organizations, with innovative and passionate advocates such as Myers, (who serves as JIJ's chief Counsel) will forge the path toward religious freedom in an increasingly democratic

Open Document