Grantee

IRAC - Israel Religious Action Center

GOALS
To promote religious freedom, social justice, civil rights and government accountability.

BACKGROUND
IRAC was established in 1987 as the social, political and legal branch of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism (IMPJ). It gathers information, analyzes policy, advocates for legislative reform and conducts litigation, submitting petitions to the High Court of Justice against various ministries and municipalities. Since 2002 IRAC has had a Department of Public Policy and Social Action which aims to bolster the involvement of IMPJ in social justice and to make the Movement's voice heard. The department develops strategies to increase IRAC's effectiveness by complementing its legal activities. During the past year IRAC made extensive efforts to help the residents of the North during the war, and to support the campaign on behalf of the Gay Pride march in Jerusalem.

STRATEGIES
Information-gathering, policy analysis advocacy and litigation.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Petitioning the supreme court on the issue of appointing Reform Rabbi Miri Gold "chief community rabbi".
• Petitioning to regulate the National Service for Women.
• Appealing against the use of funds of the Tel Aviv Burial Society to pay yeshiva students in exchange for their reciting prayers for the souls of the dead, and various other misuses of government funds in the religious services sector.
• Resource Allocation Monitoring Project – RAMP - a successful campaign to reinstitute allocations to HUC and the Schechter Institute. Activities to obtain government support for IMPJ and its congregations.
• Library and Resource Center. E bulletin serving over 4,000 subscribers.
• Position papers, think-tank and publications promoting the liberal Jewish voice in Israel