ITIM: Resources and Advocacy for Jewish Life
{{Infobox organization
| name =Itim
| logo =
| logo_size = 200px
| founded_date = 2002
| founder = Seth Farber
| location = Jerusalem, Israel
| area_served =
| method =
| homepage = http://www.itim.org.il/en/
}}
ITIM (Hebrew: עתים) is an Israeli not-for-profit organization founded in 2002 by Open Orthodox Rabbi Seth Farber to challenge the authority of the Israeli Rabbinate in matters of Jewish identity and Jewish life.{{cite news|last1=Gorenberg|first1=Gershom|title=How Do You Prove You're a Jew?|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/magazine/02jewishness-t.html|accessdate=27 November 2017|newspaper=New York Times|date=2 March 2008}} ITIM addresses government policies that govern personal status in legal matters such as registering marriages and the right to enter Israel under the Law of Return that are determined in part by an individual's legal status as Christian, Muslim or Jewish.{{cite news|last1=Borschel-Dan|first1=Amanda|title=Will Orthodox Israelis' revolt against the chief rabbinate spur a domino effect?|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/will-orthodox-israelis-revolt-against-the-chief-rabbinate-spur-a-domino-effect/|accessdate=27 November 2017|work=Times of Israel|date=27 December 2015}}{{cite news|last1=Tobin|first1=Andrew|title=Chief Rabbinate telling more and more Israelis they aren't Jews|url=https://www.jta.org/2017/09/16/default/more-israelis-being-blacklisted-by-rabbinical-courts-than-ever-before-official-stats-reveal|accessdate=27 November 2017|agency=Jewish Telegraphic Agency|date=16 September 2017}}
The Hebrew word ITIM (עתים) means "seasons" or "times" and is also a Hebrew acronym for "support and advocacy."{{cite news|last1=Russo|first1=Yochevet Miriam|title=My Working Week - Rabbi Seth Farber|newspaper=Jerusalem Post|date=19 June 2008|id={{ProQuest|319657247}}}}
History
ITIM has been active in advocating the reform of Israeli laws governing conversion to Judaism.{{cite news|last1=Kershner|first1=Isabel|title=Who Is a Jew? Maybe Not Woman Converted by Esteemed New York Rabbi|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/24/world/middleeast/israel-rabbinate-jewish-conversion.html|accessdate=27 November 2017|work=New York Times|date=23 June 2016}}{{cite news|last1=Kershner|first1=Isabel|title=Israel Rabbinical Authorities Promise Clarity in Conversions Abroad|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/09/world/middleeast/israel-rabbinical-orthodox-conversions-ivanka-trump.html|accessdate=27 November 2017|newspaper=New York Times|date=9 December 2016}} In Israel, the Orthodox Rabbinate controls the recognition of conversions of Judaism; the Rabbinate does not recognize the validity of Conservative or Reform conversions, and in some cases has also refused to accept Orthodox conversions made by rabbis abroad.
In 2017 ITIM filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Religious Services, claiming that the ministry was violating a law allowing women to immerse themselves in a mikveh (Jewish ritual bath) without an attendant present.{{cite news|last1=Sharon|first1=Jeremy|title=NGO sues Jerusalem Rabbinate over mikva immersion without attendant|newspaper=Jerusalem Post|date=27 September 2017|id={{ProQuest|1943302114}}}} ITIM has also challenged practices of the Chief Rabbinate in adding individuals to a marriage blacklist, which would "prevent them, their children and their maternal relatives from ever marrying in Israel."{{cite news|last1=Sharon|first1=Jeremy|title=Rabbinical Courts Rapidly Adding Names to Marriage Blacklists|url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Rabbinical-courts-have-blacklisted-6787-people-from-marriage-505267|accessdate=27 November 2017|newspaper=The Jerusalem Post|date=17 September 2017}}{{cite news|last1=Beaumont|first1=Peter|title=Hardline Israeli rabbis use tough checks on Jewish identity to block marriages|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/16/rabbis-block-marriages-israeljewish-identity-human-rights|accessdate=27 November 2017|newspaper=The Guardian|date=16 September 2017}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.itim.org.il/en/ ITIM official website]
{{Authority control}}
Category:Jewish community organizations
Category:Jewish organizations based in Israel
Category:Organizations based in Jerusalem
{{Jewish-org-stub}}