Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., November 18, 2008 Cheshvan 20, 5769 | | Israel Time: 03:38 (EST+7)   Back to Homepage web haaretz.com Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate GA 2008 Travel Week's End Anglo File

GA conference / JA assembly reaffirms support for nearly all conversions By Cnaan Liphshiz It was a smooth voting session yesterday at the resolutions meeting that concluded the Jewish Agency's annual assembly in Jerusalem - for a whole 15 minutes. The meeting quickly hit its first road bump after the 120-strong plenum heard a proposal to call for Israel to immediately recognize all conversions to Judaism by all religious streams. Advertisement The proposal, brought forth by a representative from Los Angeles, was eventually rejected. The plenum voted instead to amend and eventually pass a less comprehensive proposal on the same subject by Professor Yaakov Ne'eman, the head of a state committee on conversions, "to urge the government of Israel to recognize and accept as Jews all individuals who have converted to Judaism under the supervision of Rabbinic authorities associated with Orthodox, Conservative, Reform or Reconstructionist movements." In so doing, the assembly reaffirmed previous resolutions on the matter. The assembly also voted in favor of calling for the State of Israel to form an independent authority which would review conversions and oversee them. Although the Prime Minister's Office this year formed a body on conversions, currently only the rabbinical court system - which follows ultra-Orthodox principles - is authorized to bring converts into Judaism. Referring to the original proposal, assembly participant Jeffery Blau said that to approve it would be to "destroy" all the achievements which the Ne'eman Committee has brought about in years of facilitating compromises between ultra-Orthodox, secular and modern-Orthodox Jews. "Conversion is an issue that regularly comes up at Jewish Agency assemblies, but I don't recall hearing such a sweeping proposal as this one," Kenneth Bob, President of Ameinu, a New-York based nonprofit promoting "liberal values" in Israel, told Haaretz. The assembly, which convened at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and preceded the United Jewish Communities own General Assembly, which opened yesterday evening in the capital, also passed a resolution to call on all Jewish organizations to "remain committed" to the absorption of Ethiopian immigrants, and to bringing the former Soviet Union's remaining Jews as well as to promote all Jewish immigration to Israel. "This proposal has absolutely no chance of succeeding in the current Israeli climate," Assembly member Solly Sachs told the voters before the original resolution was rejected. "If we pass this resolution, it will give them [ultra-Orthodox] an excuse not to move forward with the conversion process." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Crime boss killed Ya'akov Alperon was killed just after his son was indicted for alleged murder attempt Peres at GA, Jerusalem Peres stresses that strong U.S. Israeli ties will not change under Obama's administration

Read & React Poll: 6% of Americans think U.S. should back Palestinians in Mideast peace talks Responses: 235 Livni to Miliband: U.K. plan to label W. Bank goods is 'exaggerated' Responses: 189 Settlers threaten 'Amona'-style riots over Hebron eviction Responses: 66 Amira Hass: Is Israel deliberately strengthening Hamas? Responses: 54 IDF officers slam top ministers for Gaza 'war-mongering' Responses: 37 More Headlines 23:37 MI Chief: I support direct talks between Iran and U.S. 18:49 IAEA chief confirms traces of uranium found at Syria site 16:38 GA special report / Ex-IDF chief: Military option against Iran still exists 00:36 Crime boss killed in underworld Tel Aviv car bombing 21:27 Ramle woman arrested on suspicion she planned to assist suicide bombing 03:13 Israeli diamond trader murdered in Johannesburg 15:50 Israel to free 250 Palestinian prisoners in goodwill gesture to Abbas 15:21 JEWISH WORLD / Obama must get involved in peace talks before they atrophy 22:54 Dozens of Poles awarded medals for saving Jewish lives in Holocaust 15:20 Barak: Israel will not accept indiscriminate attacks on its citizens 16:42 GA special report / Peres to Obama: To help Israel, be a great president for the U.S. 00:21 IDF lets limited aid into Gaza, despite Qassam fire on Negev 16:07 Top Obama aide denies report president-elect will back Arab peace plan 08:11 Poll: Only 6% of Americans think U.S. should back Palestinians in peace talks 15:18 IDF officers slam top ministers for Gaza 'war-mongering' 00:13 Israeli man moderately injured in criminally linked West Bank shooting Previous Editions Select Day 17 nov 16 nov 14 nov 13 nov 12 nov 11 nov 10 nov 09 nov 07 nov 06 nov 05 nov 04 nov

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