(Interrupting our regularly scheduled programming with a brief polemic)

I haven’t been particularly engaged this year with the more distasteful wings of Israeli Orthodoxy, but do occasionally get a bit worked up about them when their spokespeople say abhorrent things that, as far as I’m concerned, bring shame upon the entire Jewish people. The latest example of such behavior came yesterday, following the Supreme Court’s decision to give increased recognition to non-Orthodox conversions, a decision that I was thrilled to hear about on the radio as we took a cab home from babysitting a friend’s daughter last night. Much of official Orthodoxy, not surprisingly, objects to anything that gives any legitimacy to the Conservative or Reform movements, even in cases when the Orthodox position has no particular basis in Jewish legal tradition. Despite the popular Orthodox polemic that liberal Judaism seeks to “change Jewish law” whereas Orthodoxy is opposed to change, I’m increasingly aware of the degree to which contemporary Orthodoxy has changed Jewish law by limiting its pluralism, often for the most crass political reasons.

Anyhow, the latest occurrence of obnoxious Orthodox rhetoric has come over the past 24 hours in response to the Supreme Court ruling. Among the choice comments that immediately showed up in the media:

This represents "a hostile takeover of the nation by means of an extremist, marginal worldview."

“Their ruling says there will be no more Jewish people and it is thus our obligation to sit with the great Torah sages and see how we will be able to act to defend the Jewish people."

“This is disaster, ruination for the Jewish people."

The ruling is an "explosives belt that has formed a terror attack against Jewish identity.” (!)

"This is the most difficult day in the history of Israel …” (!!)

Most of these comments are coming from the various Orthodox political parties in Israel or coming from the Chief Rabbinate, the embarrassing government religious establishment here in the land of Israel which is in need of dismantling at some point very soon. (The Chief Rabbinate is the institution that has also been in the press lately for joining forces with Christian and Muslim clerics in opposing the plans for the WorldPride festival in Jerusalem this coming August. For the first time in a long time, leaders of the three faiths are joining together in harmony –- for what? For the sake of promoting bigotry and hatred.)

There have been countless examples in recent months of other repugnant statements made by the religious establishment here – click here for some more examples. I find it all pretty depressing. And so even on a day when I’d like to celebrate a wise decision of the Supreme Court, I’m sufficiently disgusted by the response of the opposition that I have little desire left to celebrate.

UPDATE: Rabbi Reuven Hammer does a good job of "exposing Orthodox conversion myths" here.