Resources and Articles by Raquel Hodara

A Highly Unorthodox Opinion:  Sanctity, Sovereignty and Jewish Identity
During the preceding months, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has been monumentally transforming itself from a political-territorial clash, into a cultural-religious one. And as opposed to land-and even private dwellings-which can be divided in a relatively just fashion, THE TRUTH, as well as the rites and symbols which are its auxiliary, cannot be shared, particularly by those who view themselves as its sole legitimate representative. [Full article...]
Israel > Jerusalem
Peace Process

A quite unorthodox opinion:  The Conversion Debate (I)
Contrary to popular opinion, the Jewish religion did indeed, at certain points in its history, encourage missionary activity, actively seeking to convert non-Jews to the Mosaic faith. Beginning with the wives of the Biblical patriarchs and including the spouse of our most revered prophet, Moses, as well as the mixed multitude that he brought out of Egypt, The Jewish people have always had their ranks increased by gentiles anxious to convert to the Mosaic faith. And, as in the case of the Moabite woman Ruth, many of these religious transformations were the result of romantic entanglements. [Full article...]
Judaism > Conversion

A quite unorthodox opinion:  The Conversion Debate (II)
We carry on with this most painful and polemical of themes, one which has always aroused such intense controversy amongst the different streams of Judaism: the willing conversion to Judaism by those gentiles interested in doing so. Directly following the Romans’ destruction of the Second Temple, the Rabbinical authorities of that period exhibited liberal attitudes which conflicted sharply with the rigidity of contemporary Ultra-Orthodox Judaism. [Full article...]
Judaism > Conversion