Dr. Shuki Friedman
Director, Center for Religion, Nation and State
A member of the Faculty of Law of the Peres Academic Center, Dr. Shuki Friedman served as secretary of the Locker Committee for Examining the Defense Budget, chairman of the government committee on the sanctions against Iran, and head of the international and foreign law department for the legal division of the Israeli Prime Minister's Office.
The relationship of religion and state; processes of religionization; secular-religious-ultra-Orthodox relations; ultra-Orthodox employment; the defense budget; Islamic law; international law; the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement.
Recent Publications written by Dr. Shuki Friedman
The Chief Rabbinate of Israel vs. the Jews
Written By: Dr. Shuki Friedman
Turning 1.2 million Israelis with FSU origins into a state-sanctioned punching bag is intolerable, and calls for radical and immediate change
The Decade in Review: Religion and State
Israel's once sacrosanct status quo seems less relevant than ever, with the essence of what it means to be a Jewish state in flux and at stake.
Jewish or Democratic? We Mustn't Choose Between Them
Recent elections have brought to fore the struggle between religion and state - the balance between the constitutional elecemtns and the place of religion. In this tug-of-war, a compromise can be the only victory.
Solidarity is a Must for the Survival of the Jewish people
Jewish solidarity is an existential imperative. As we mark the solemn day of Tisha B'Av, Dr. Friedman reflects on the importance of strengthening the common denominator among all Jewish communities.
Is Israel like Iran? Hardly
An unflattering US report on freedom of religion would have us believe that Israel is being run by an ayatollah-like regime. While some limits to freedom of religion exist, Israel is a free country
Jewish Identity is Highly Explosive: Handle with Care
Many Israeli policies only influence Israeli citizens. But when it comes to questions of Jewish identity, every decision and every statement made reverberates throughout the Jewish world.
DNA Tests for Jewishness
In today's world of big data, it is easy to imagine what the impact would be of a single database containing information about their Jewishness—of Israelis and Jews around the world.
The Liberal-Democratic Camp Will Keep on Losing Elections
Change will come only by engaging in an extended struggle over values, and by offering a true Jewish-democratic alternative in which both components are strong and complement one another
The Jewish Home Has Forgotten What It Means To Be Jewish
The merger between the Jewish Home party and Otzma LeYisrael marks the end of an era. Since the founding of the State of Israel, the prominent Religious-Zionist parties have played a central role – yet they have now joined forces with the dangerous fringes on the extreme right
When the Government Provides Religious Services
Full separation of religion and state isn't possible, but why is the Chief Rabbinate in the kashrut business?
Two Democracies for Two Peoples
Israeli society is becoming increasingly polarized with each group holding a very different view of democracy and the State of Israel
Faith and the City
In an op-ed for the Jerusalem Post, Dr. Shuki Friedman, Head of IDI's Center for Religion, Nation and State, explains how local government plays a critical role in balancing religion and state in day-to-day life in Israel.
Shabbat in the City
Written By: Dr. Shuki Friedman, Adv. Gilad Wiener
A recent law stripped local authorities of the power to decide on allowing commercial activity on Shabbat and handed it over to the Minister of the Interior, a development which was met with public uproar. Would it not be better to leave these powers in the hands of the municipalities, which act according to the profile of their resident population? Dr. Shuki Friedman makes the case for leaving these decisions in the hands of the local authority.
The Struggle Over the Definition of Jewishness Is Now Existential
The centrality granted to the Jewish component over the democratic one in the constitutional identity of the state and the increasing influence of religion on the lives of Israelis make defining Judaism all the more important
Israel-Diaspora Rift Isn't As Bad As You Think
The rift between the Israeli Jewish community (as opposed to the Israeli government) and the U.S. Jewish community is not as deep as it is portrayed in the media.
The Decision to Halt Work on the Sabbath on the Ayalon Bridge – a Farce
- "The decision is questionable. If the government is really interested in avoiding desecration of the Sabbath, and in ensuring a day of rest, it should focus its energy on stopping the illegal work currently being performed on the Sabbath, which according to reports by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor, is rarely done.
Is it time to do away with Tisha B'Av?
Israel has evolved into an economic and military superpower; what must we mourn?
The Nation State Bill is a Constitutional Abandonment of Diaspora Jewry
This bill is superfluous and will do far more harm than good. In its newly revised version, the Nation-State Bill, which has been problematic since its inception, reaches new lows by effectively abandoning Diaspora Jewry.
Calling on Our Leaders to Lead
Written By: Prof. Yedidia Z. Stern, Dr. Shuki Friedman
Leading public figures avoid dealing with issues that are of national importance when it entails confronting the ultra-Orthodox community.
Jews Worldwide Must Resist The Power Grab Of Israel's Chief Rabbinate
Step by step, the Chief Rabbinate is turning itself into the central source of halakhic legitimacy not just within Israel's borders but beyond them, and becoming a global force through securing its power all over the Jewish world.
Israelis Are More Traditional Than You Think
More than 25 years ago, the "Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty" affirmed that Israel is a "Jewish" and "democratic" state but did not define either of these terms in the Israeli context. Now is the time for us to turn to the Jewish identity that has been adopted by a large portion of Israel's Jews and allow it to shape the country's Jewish character.
Time To Counter Charedi Parties On Jewish Character Of Israel
No matter when they take place, the upcoming elections will have a decisive impact on the identity of the state if decision-makers and the general public continue to follow the ultra-Orthodox lead
The Orthodox Are No Longer Repairing the World
Rabbis outside the Reform and Conservative movements rarely deal with Jewish-values issues such as the asylum seekers and treatment of the Palestinians
How Much Should Jewish Law Control the Jewish State?
For decades, religious and ultra-Orthodox members of Knesset, backed and encouraged by their rabbis, have worked to inject the secular state with as much Judaism as possible. Over the course of 70 years, the results of this ongoing effort have been minimal, but the price paid by Judaism has been great.
From Peoplehood to Brotherhood
"It was the best of times; it was the worst of times." Dickens's words seem a highly apt way of describing the current state of the Jewish people, and the relationship between the two largest Jewish communities in the world – those in Israel and the United States.
Two Jewish Nations and the Abyss Between Them
For many American Jews, identification with the State of Israel is a significant component of their Jewish identity.
Religion Can Be the Bridge Linking Jews and Muslims
How both faiths can use their common threads and customs as a means to connect, dialogue and cooperate.
Religion and State in Israel: Charting a New Course for 5778
Written By: Dr. Shuki Friedman,
Is our country and society doomed to continually follow the same path of repeated crisis, or has the time finally come for us to plot a new course?
This Yom Kippur, Let's Turn Down the Volume
A country that comes to a standstill for one whole day and doesn't derive anything significant from it is missing the point.
Is the Chief Rabbinate's Monopoly on Kashrut Over?
The implications of the Supreme Court's ruling go far beyond the Kashrut market.
What remains of the religious status quo?
Instead of Judaism being what unites Jews in Israel with Jews around the world, our religion has become the main source of conflict.
Israel's 'Status Quo' On Religion Is In Chaos
The recent challenges at the Kotel are but a symptom of an ever-increasing problem.
Battling Over Equality
Israel's very legitimacy as a Jewish state is under attack.
Personal Holocaust, Personal Responsibility
As a second generation Holocaust survivor, Dr. Shuki Friedman says that, "beyond the responsibility of building our own lives and the state, there is also a personal responsibility not only to remember, but to pass on remembrance to the next generation."
Passover: Nationalism, Freedom and Humanism
The Exodus from Egypt is what brought Israelites their freedom and made them into a nation.
The Shabbat Wars: A Guide for the Perplexed on the 'Status Quo' … and a Possible Solution
A summary of the legal situation in Israel regarding Shabbat observance.
How To Prevent A Religious Civil War From Consuming Western Europe
While Europeans are trying to maintain their sense of ownership over the public sphere, restrictions on religious expression in the public domain strike at Muslims' most basic of rights: to continue living their lives as guided by the dictates of their own conscience. Will there be a religious-based civil war? This article was first published by the Independent Journal Review.
Rosh Hashanah Resolution
The upcoming High Holidays are an opportunity to expand our perception beyond our selves and communities. This article was first published by the New York Jewish Week.
Israel's Tragedy: One Country, Separate School Systems
IDI's Shuki Friedman laments the existence of separate education systems for each sector of Israel's population, which reinforce, rather than bridge societal divides. This op-ed first appeared on Times of Israel.
Clinton Could Have Clout Over Israel
The expected election of Hillary Clinton as the next president of the United States will affect Israel in a great number of ways, but one of them is rather different and unexpected: Her election will certainly influence the question of religion and state. This op-ed was first published by Haaretz.
A Holy War Over Israel's Character
The inflammatory statements made about Reform Judaism at the recent First Zion and Jerusalem Conference are not merely old rhetoric, but rather a national ultra-Orthodox (Hardal) declaration of a holy war against the spread of pluralistic Judaism in Israel.
The 'Religionization' of Israel is Troubling, but the Fears About it are Hysterical
Israel is a Jewish and democratic state. These two characteristics are critical to the country's existence. This article originally appeared on JTA.org.
An Israeli Shabbat
What does Shabbat and its observance look like in the State of Israel? Can every individual enjoy this day of rest in the way he/she chooses? Are there actually individuals who are forced to give up Shabbat as a result of a lack of choice or economic coercion? IDI scholar Dr. Shuki Friedman explains in this article which originally appeared on eJewish Philanthropy.
One Judaism, Two Nations
The Jewish people have been debating questions of Jewish identity and the definition of "who is a Jew" for thousands of years. While this debate has worn different faces and taken on different shapes at different times, it is a debate that has weighed on all sects and sectors of Jewish society. However, with the formation of the State of Israel, and especially over recent years, there is a palpable feeling that there are two nations caring out separate and different discussions. One lives and operates out of Israel; the other is overseas. This op-ed originally appeared in the Jewish Week.
The Kosher Monopoly
Israel's New Conversion Laws Give Power to the People
The Supreme Court's decision to recognize conversions performed by private Orthodox rabbinical courts in Israel is nothing less than a historic drama. The immediate significance is the loss of the Chief Rabbinate's Orthodox monopoly over conversions, but it's also a milestone in the privatization of religious services on the road to the Chief Rabbinate's loss of relevance. Originally published by Haaretz.
IDI Statement on the "Mikveh Bill" (1)
Dr. Shuki Friedman, head of the IDI Center for Nation, Religion and State, said the bill's declared purpose is to attack the decision by the Supreme Court. Moreover, this bill would give the Chief Rabbinate unbridled authority over the mikvehs.
'Jewish and Democratic' Even in Tough Times
Dr. Shuki Friedman reminds us that the values that are so deeply rooted in our Jewish worldview, are part and parcel with the democratic values of our state and its outlook on the obligation to preserve life and human dignity using the rule of law.
The End of the Chief Rabbinate?
According to Dr. Shuki Friedman, the rabbinate's failure to provide adequate religious services caused the current trend towards privatization of religious services, which is creating a de-facto separation between religion and the state.
Keeping Kosher: By Faith, Not By Force
To what extent should the Rabbinate interfere in a citizen's plate? Dr. Shuki Friedman, argues that kosher supervision should be based on trust not coercion, and warns that the attempt to preserve the Chief Rabbinate's monopoly on the kosher laws is a symptom of a larger problem.
An Open Letter to the New Minister of Religious Services
As the new government begins its work, Dr. Shuki Friedman, Director of IDI's Center for Religion, Nation and State offers recommendations to MK David Azoulay, Minister of Religious Services, on how to keep the rabbinate relevant and improve its standing in Israeli society.
Books written by Dr. Shuki Friedman
Certification of Judaism in Israel
Dr. Shuki Friedman, Elad Caplan,Alon Shalev
A Plan to Reduce Tension between Religion and State in Israel
Dr. Shuki Friedman, Dr. Gilad Malach, Mr. Yair Sheleg,Prof. Yedidia Z. Stern
Rabbis and Rabbinate
Prof. Yedidia Z. Stern,Dr. Shuki Friedman
Price: 196 NIS
The Religious Community and the Constitution
What Can History Teach Us?
Dr. Shuki Friedman,Amichai Radzyner
The Erosion of the Status Quo in the Relations Between Religion & State in Israel
Publication Date: 1