LIMMUD NZ 2012

Location: R3

Almost every one of the 193 nations of the UN are signatories to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and later conventions and charters, and in addition have domestic legal systems that outlaw discrimination on religious grounds and grant citizens the right to practice their religion. In practice, these religious rights are often balanced against other competing human rights with religious rights taking second place. The recent decision in Germany about circumcision and debates and decisions about shechita raise the issue of just how robust and secure these religious rights are. This address will explore how Jewish communities might respond and the nature of these challenges.