Ep. 30: What’s It Like Being a Reform Rabbi in Israel?

What if traveling to the U.S. from Israel meant sneaking across borders, hiding your Jewish identity, and relying on bus rides, taxis, and flights through countries that aren't always friendly to Jews? In this episode, Rabbi Benny Minich shares his extraordinary journey—literally and figuratively—from Crimea to Israel to the United States, peeling back the curtain on what it means to be Jewish, a rabbi, and a Reform movement leader today.Hosted by Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe, this episode dives into Benny’s personal story: escaping war zones, leading a reform community under fire (sometimes literally), and finding creative ways to keep his congregation connected when school is closed, flights are canceled, and air raid sirens send everyone to the bomb shelter. Benny unpacks the complexities of Israeli religious life, the unique challenges of building non-Orthodox community in Israel, and how his experiences in American synagogues changed his own vision of Jewish life. Against a backdrop of current headlines and conflict, this is a hopeful, inspiring conversation about resilience, innovation, and the global Jewish family.Timestamped Overview:00:00 Introduction and Benny’s dramatic journey to America04:00 Benny’s upbringing in Crimea and path to Israeli Reform rabbinate08:00 Russian-speaking Jews in Israel and Reform community growth12:00 Family realities: life during wartime, bomb shelters, closed schools19:00 Humor, community, and coping strategies in crisis23:00 The state of the Reform movement in Israel & political challenges31:00 Government, synagogue funding, and legal battles for recognition36:00 Lessons from American synagogues & reciprocal learning41:00 Pluralism, identity, and raising Jewish kids across borders45:00 What’s next: adventures in America, building bridges, and hope