The decision followed weeks of "painful soul-searching," according to the Union of American Hebrew Congregations president Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie. "Our religious and Zionist commitments run deep and are known to all, but this movement never uses other people's children to make a political or ideological point," he said.

In a speech to the UAHC, Yoffie said that cancelling the trip

"Mountains of bagels and lox" have been consumed with "empty" talk about Jewish solidarity - Minister Ephraim Sneh on Reform Judaism's leadership

was perhaps the most difficult single decision he has had to make since becoming president of the UAHC five years ago. "I am heartbroken about the necessity of taking this step," he said, adding that he was "exceedingly angry at those whose murderous actions forced the UAHC to make this difficult decision."

Yoffie, an outspoken backer of the Oslo process, did not identify those to whom he was referring, although in another speech last week he criticized the Palestinian leadership and even owned up to mistakes in judgment on his own part and that of his organization.

The UAHC last year sent 1,500 high school students to Israel. While this year's registration was dramatically lower, and the number of cancellations and concerns expressed about the trip had grown over the past week, there were still more than 300 families who were prepared to entrust the safety of their children to the UAHC.

In an interview on Israel Radio this morning, Yoffie blamed the decision on "pressure and fear of parents who because of what is going on are concerned for their children."

Rabbi Allan Smith, director of the UAHC's Youth Division, said the families of those who were registered for the program have been called and offered alternative programs, including trips highlighting Jewish sites and history in Europe and the United States. Rabbi Smith did not identify which countries and cities he considered safe.

"Mountains of bagels and lox" … and criticism
The decision to effectively cancel the trips sparked sharp responses from across the Israeli political spectrum.

"Mountains of bagels and lox" had been consumed with talk about Jewish solidarity, commented Minister Ephraim Sneh of the Labor Party in an interview on IDF Radio. The decision by the UAHC showed that such talk was "empty," he said, adding that the Reform Jewish leadership should be ashamed of itself.

"Those who do come here," Sneh said, "are expressing their identification with us and are participating with the citizens of Israel in the risk that each one of us takes by living in the State of Israel. If they aren't prepared to make this minimal effort, then their words are empty."

Sneh contrasted the Reform Jewish decision with that of the Birthright program, which decided to continue with its plans to send some 15,000 college students to Israel in 2001 despite the escalating violence. But Birthright Officials report that cancellations for summer programs were currently running at 30 percent. "No one knows what the situation will be next week," admitted Birthright director, Shimshon Shoshani.

Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert said that he will cut off relations with the Reform movement in the United States because of its cancellation of summer trips to Israel, Israel Radio reported Friday. He said the movement has cancelled its visit at a crucial time in which the state is in need of the solidarity of Diaspora Jews.

Even the leadership of the left wing opposition group Meretz, traditional champions of Reform Judaism in Israel, expressed strong opposition to the UAHC decision. Opposition Chairman Yossi Sarid and MK Ron Cohen call on the Reform Movement in the United States to change their decision not to carry out their summer programs in Israel.

Sarid and Cohen said "this decision harms Jewish solidarity with Israel and may put the Reform Movement outside of the circle of those who identify with Israel in such a difficult period." They said that they would meet with Yoffie when he visits Israel in the coming weeks. "The Reform Movement has struggled for years to establish its standing in Israel and we support their struggle. Their decision now will only play into the hands of those who are interested in stopping their activities in Israel and in presenting them as outsiders."

Yoffie acknowledged the divisiveness of the issue in his interview with Israel Radio today: "This is something I understand. The leaders of the movement in Israel also are not so happy with the decision. I arrive in another week and will sit with them and explain to them. Am I concerned about division? Again, this is what happens in the Jewish world and it does not help matters to turn us into enemies of the State of Israel or of the Jewish People."

A Jerusalem Post editorial acknowledged the legitimacy of security concerns but called the cancellation of all Reform summer programs in Israel "an unfortunately rash step, one that will likely have a domino effect on other Jewish groups and summer tours planning to come to Israel."

The Post proposed a more measured response: "Rather than deny students the choice of whether to travel to the Jewish state, Reform groups should have presented them with the option of doing so, leaving the decision up to them and their families. Instead, they have chosen to send their youth, and their membership, the message that Jewish unity is fine, but only until a certain point. At this difficult juncture in Israel's history, that is perhaps the most damaging message they could possibly have chosen to send."

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