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The Israel Movement for
Progressive Judaism Welcomes its New
Executive Director, Rabbi Gilad
Kariv, Esq.
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The
IMPJ would like to introduce its new Executive Director, Rabbi
Gilad Kariv. The appointment was officially approved by the
IMPJ Board on January 7, 2009 and began on January 15,
2009.
For the last 11 years, Rabbi Kariv has been an active
and committed member in the Israel Movement for Progressive
Judaism (IMPJ). During the last four years he served as the
Associate Director of the Israel Religious Action Center
(IRAC).
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Rabbi Kariv served in
the Israeli Defense Forces’ special Talpiot project of the Intelligence
Corps. He thereafter graduated from the Faculty of Law at the Hebrew
University, earning a combined degree with a BA in Law and Jewish
Philosophy. After earning his law degree, Rabbi Kariv spent a year
clerking in the State Attorney's office, at the end of which he
successfully passed the Israeli Law Bar exam, earning his license as an
attorney. Recently, Rabbi Kariv earned an LLM in Public and International
Law from the Northwestern University School of Law.
While in the
Hebrew University, Rabbi Kariv joined the national staff of the IMPJ and
founded the Young Adult Leadership Forum, which he headed for three years.
As a representative of the Forum, he served on the Board of the World
Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ). He thereafter studied in the Israel
Rabbinical Program of the Hebrew Union College and was ordained as a
Reform Rabbi in 2003.
Rabbi Kariv first joined the Israel Religious
Action Center (IRAC), which is the legal and public policy arm of the
IMPJ, as the Director of the Public Policy and Social Action Department,
later becoming IRAC’s Associate Director. As IRAC’s Associate Director,
Rabbi Kariv was responsible for guiding the legal and public policy work,
as well as the social action activity of the IMPJ.
Rabbi Kariv is
a very active member in the Constitution Committee, which is working on
formulating a constitution for the State of Israel. Moreover, he serves as
a Board member of the Joint Institute for Jewish Studies, established by
the Jewish Agency following the recommendations of the Ne'eman Commission
on conversion. In addition, he is a Board member of Hemdat: The Israel
Association for the Promotion of Freedom of Science, Religion and Culture.
Rabbi Kariv also represents the IMPJ at the Forum for Social Organizations
in Israel.
Rabbi Kariv has written numerous articles and position
papers on Judaism, religion and state, and community empowerment. His
articles appear in leading Israeli newspapers and his opinions are
frequently quoted in articles on legal issues, public policy, and social
action.
Rabbi Kariv lives in Tel Aviv with his wife Noa and their
two daughters.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Iri
Kassel, IMPJ’s outgoing Executive Director, for his great contribution to
the development and progress of the IMPJ during the last six and a half
years. The IMPJ cherishes Iri and sees in him an important leader of the
Reform Movement in Israel and worldwide.
Professor Abraham Melamed
Chairman of the
Board
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