Calderon, in what appears to be a beginner’s mistake, was forced to shelve and switch the “Basic Law: Independence Scroll” bill she submitted a few weeks ago because it did not contain the word combination “a Jewish and democratic state.” This aroused the criticism of Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Meretz Chairwoman Zahava Galon, so Calderon withdrew her original proposal. A few days ago, she submitted a new bill that included the omitted word combination. Even now, chances are low that the bill will pass, but if Calderon does succeed in gaining a majority of backers, it will be considered an important achievement in her short political career. Such a law would finally give legal validity to the principles and values that appear in Israel’s Declaration of Independence.

Most of the members of Calderon’s party lack political training and experience, including Lapid and Education Minister Shai Piron. Their tenure in the Knesset is an interesting experiment in the world of veteran Israeli politics: Will the Yesh Atid Knesset members ultimately succeed in translating their worldview into real-life legislative action?

Calderon, known for her groundbreaking work in the secular study of Judaism, was pulled out of the academic world and into politics by Yesh Atid Chairman and Finance Minister Yair Lapid, when he composed his Knesset list for the recent elections. In her first speech in the Knesset, Calderon created an uproar when she read a Talmudic story in Aramaic. The ultra-Orthodox immediately labeled her a threat to Judaism, the secular Jews became curious, and the video became a hit on YouTube with more than 200,000 views.

“Throughout many years, women were distanced from the centers of power and they did not have the knowledge that men had,” says Calderon in an interview with Al-Monitor. “And now, the social networks allow women and youths to accumulate power and influence through knowledge. Dictatorships can forestall knowledge in the public space, but not on the Web.”

Knesset member Ruth Calderon views the Egyptian and Turkish women who participated in their countries' mass demonstrations as examples of heroines in the global feminist revolution. As grasped by Calderon, religious women take part in this revolution, as do ultra-Orthodox women in Israel who go to work and change the social structure of the state. Calderon, member of the Yesh Atid party and a Talmud scholar, finds this "female connection" fascinating and she interprets it according to her feminist world view.

Why did you agree to compromise on the original wording of the bill?

“I started working on the bill when I first entered the Knesset. I was familiar with the ‘Nation State of the Jewish People’ bill of former Knesset member Avi Dichter. (His proposal was criticized because it subordinated Israel’s democratic principles under its denotation as a Jewish state) The law worried me because in effect, it impinges on the democratic rights of minorities. Yair Lapid told me, ‘Bring your own bill,’ so I proposed granting the status of a basic law to the Declaration of Independence.

“In discussions I held with Tzipi Livni and Zahava Galon, they told me that they missed the express words ‘Jewish and democratic.’ Since the Declaration of Independence has a very developed chapter on democratic values, it was OK with me to change the bill. This way, in addition to the ratification of the country as a Jewish state, we also strengthen the ideals of equality, freedom of religion, gender equality, and equality between Jews and Arabs. In 1948 they didn’t use the word democracy, so I added it to the law’s goals in an explicit way. It is important to me to emphasize that the ‘Jewish state’ concept does not relate to Judaism as a religion, but to the Jewish nation-state and culture.”

What are the chances for such a bill to pass in the present Knesset?

“Nothing in politics is a sure thing. The bill will now go to the ministerial committee and face competition vis-a-vis the ‘Nation-State of the Jewish People’ bill that is now being advanced by Knesset members Ayelet Shaked from HaBayit HaYehudi, and Chairman of the coalition Yariv Levin from the Likud. For a certain period of time we tried to work with HaBayit HaYehudi leader, Minister of Economy and Trade Naftali Bennett and Shaked on creating a joint formulation, but I felt that they were unwilling to accept the concepts of equality. They were very worried about it. The religious world is still traumatized by the legislative revolution of the former president of the Supreme Court, Aharon Barak.”

Actually, the impression created was that the combination of forces between Bennett and Yair Lapid, provides an opportunity to reach agreements on religious issues.

“I am an optimistic person. But the political game is subtle and sophisticated, and you also need luck. It isn’t going to be easy. There is an opportunity, because this coalition has not signed on to the concept of the status quo, so there is a window for changes that I hope will come about cooperatively. Shai Piron is a rabbi, and he has the ability to create a link between rabbis and secular people, to reach compromises and find solutions.”

Calderon is a strange bird even among the new Knesset members. At her initiative, a beit midrash (Jewish study house) operates in the Knesset, and every Tuesday a group of Knesset members come together for Torah lectures. The following Knesset members participate: Minister Piron, Moshe Feiglin (Likud), Shuli Mualem (HaBayit HaYehudi) and David Rotem (Yisrael Beiteinu). Feiglin even delivered a lesson on the Temple. Recently, Calderon approached Knesset Member Ibrahim Sarsour from the Ram-Tal faction (former head of the southern branch of Israel's Islamic Movement), invited him to deliver a lecture in the beit midrash, and he agreed.

What threatens Judaism the most today?

“The messianic-temple process taking place here. Today, people talk plainly about a temple on the Temple Mount. In the past, this kind of talk was very marginal and today I hear it very strongly. Even in the Knesset. That is a very harsh innovation. Any backtracking is dangerous in my eyes.”

In the free-for-all election contest going on today concerning the office of the chief rabbi, do you support Rabbi David Stav?

“No. In my opinion, there is no need for a chief rabbi. This institution is not relevant, at least the way it has existed until today. No one sees the secular world from there. True, Rabbi Stav is impressive and has a lot going for him, but he does not view my Judaism as legitimate. Even with Rabbi Stav, the budgets will continue to fund the needs of Orthodox Jews. In my eyes, that is what is called desecration of God’s name. True, the terrible way he was persecuted aroused my empathy for him, but it doesn’t change my mind that this function has to be abolished. My solution is that the various Jewish communities will appoint their own rabbis and live according to their lifestyles.”

Yair Lapid is viewed as someone who hates the ultra-Orthodox, or at least as someone who uses them for political gains. And you are held up as a danger to Judaism in the ultra-Orthodox press.

“That is not so true, and that’s why it also isn’t applicable. There is a lot of anxiety in the ultra-Orthodox regarding us, but we are not anti-Semites. We are trying to create a Jewish space that’s good for the state. Yesh Atid is blooming because it has religious and secular members. There are populistic ultra-Orthodox people who view me as the enemy, and that is legitimate. There were those who talked about me very sharply, and that’s fine. But the reverse is also true. We had a discussion in Tel Aviv about the Shabbat and I spoke about the Shabbat of Hebrew essayist Ahad Ha’am who believed that Shabbat should be a cultural day with open museums, but no commerce or business. One of the ultra-Orthodox party Shas' Knesset members said to me, ‘Right on.’ He meant that he appreciates the fact that there is a Jewish-secular stance that doesn’t want to do shopping on Shabbat, but wants the day to have a festive, inspired and even an ‘additional Shabbat soul’ to it.”

Throughout the conversation with Calderon, her diplomatic worldview is noticeable in its absence. She does not want to express her opinions on US Secretary of State John Kerry’s shuttle diplomacy or the attempts to renew negotiations with Palestinian Chairman Abu Mazen. When I ask her about this, she answers, “I think that the more we are familiar with our Jewish identity, and the Arabs are familiar with their Muslim identity — that is what will bring the solution.”

Mazal Mualem is a contributing writer for Al-Monitor and formerly a chief political analyst for Maariv and Haaretz. She also previously worked for Bamachane, the Israeli army's weekly newspaper.