Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., January 22, 2008 Shvat 15, 5768 | | Israel Time: 07:57 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Last update - 03:50 14/01/2008 PM aide: We'll fire rabbis who refuse to recognize legitimate converts By Anshel Pfeffer Tags: Ehud Olmert, conversion  Municipal rabbis who refuse to recognize state-sanctioned conversions to Judaism will be fired, Cabinet Secretary Oved Yehezkel has told Haaretz. Yehezkel, whom Prime Minister Ehud Olmert appointed three weeks ago to oversee the issue of conversions and streamline the current process, is hoping to put an end to the phenomenon of local rabbinates that refuse to recognize as Jews converts who have come through the special conversion seminar set up for the purpose, despite the policy of the state, though the Chief Rabbinate, to accept those conversions as kosher. Some of the registrars in the local rabbinical councils refuse to accept the authority of the special rabbinical courts for conversion, because they believe they operate according to lax standards, and by performing "wholsale" conversions are acting in violation of halakha, Jewish law. Such cases have occurred in municipal rabbinates in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Rehovot, Petah Tikva, Ashdod and Herzliya. Advertisement The registrars in those cities were acting with the backing of their chief rabbis, who are increasingly identified with ultra-Orthodox streams of Judaism. As a consequence, some conversion seminars have begun advise their students not to apply for marriage certificates in those cities, anticipating that they will not be recognized as Jews and therefore be unable to marry. The cabinet secretary said that he had learned of this issue through meetings with Reform and Conservative leaders. "It is unthinkable that rabbis who receive their salaries and draw authority from the state should refuse to recognize that same state's formal conversion certificate. They will not be allowed to carry on in this manner," Yehezkel said. A senior official from the Prime Minister's Office described Yehezkel as "determined to put an end to this phenomenon." The official added that Yehezkel was "looking for a way to depose intransigent registrars and rabbis." Rabbi Gilad Kariv of the Progressive (Reform) movement said he believed that Yehezkel was acting with the best of intentions. "The problem is that he is hoping for the assistance of Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar. But Amar has had five years to take care of matters, and so to date, matters have only gotten worse," Kariv said. More Jewish World news and features Bookmark to del.icio.us   Message from space A newly-launched Israeli spy satellite sends Iran a very clear message. Gravediggers' plight Even getting buried in the Gaza Strip has gotten more complicated these days.   1.   Olmert and conversions 04:24  |  Rabbi Yakov Lazaros 14/01/08   2.   reasonable 04:50  |  realism 14/01/08   3.   to #1 10:23  |  Noa 14/01/08   4.   Who Are You Kidding?? 11:00  |  Jay A Friedman 14/01/08   5.   Convert in Rehovot 11:09  |  Nadav 14/01/08   6.   To #5 11:45  |  Livio 14/01/08   7.   Irreligious State Legislating on Religion? 12:04  |  Efox 14/01/08   8.   to #6 12:13  |  Nadav 14/01/08   9.   About Rabbi`s and legislation 16:24  |  mosheg 14/01/08   10.   hit `em in the pocket 17:39  |  Ethan 14/01/08   11.   WHERE DID OLMERT GET HIS SEMICHA? 18:25  |  BILL HANDEL 14/01/08   12.   bill handel 11 18:39  |  realism 14/01/08   13.   Realism 19:53  |  Sharon 14/01/08   14.   Judaism is a way of life. No.1 20:33  |  Federico Glez 14/01/08   15.   RACIST. No.5 20:38  |  Federico Glez 14/01/08   16.   #6 20:59  |  j 14/01/08   17.   Sincere converts require/deserve sincere Dayanim! 21:01  |  John 14/01/08   18.   No.16 you are not in America 21:15  |  Federico Glez 14/01/08   19.   Separation of powers 22:30  |  Joseph 14/01/08   20.   Non Haredim are troublemakers 22:56  |  Yechiel 14/01/08   21.   The Non Haredim are Ignorant 22:58  |  Shlomo 14/01/08   22.   Non Haredim are all Reshayam 22:59  |  Elija 14/01/08   23.   Non Haredim: Jews who are all disintergrating 23:01  |  Yacov 14/01/08   24.   Non Haredim should be RETHINK THEIR WAYS! 23:05  |  Zevulon 14/01/08   25.   The Non Haredim are at it AGAIN 23:07  |  Abe Freidman 14/01/08   26.   Sorry Nadav, I was thinking in No.6 00:12  |  Federico Glez 15/01/08   27.   zevulon 24 06:35  |  realism 15/01/08   28.   Separation of powers 15:27  |  Leo 15/01/08   29.   REFORM AND CONSERVATIVE ARE A THREAT TO JUDAISM 17:13  |  CHAIM SOLANKI 15/01/08   30.   Separation between Haredim Dattim vs Hlonim 17:53  |  Avi Yerushalmi 15/01/08   31.   I wish the rabbis cared about the converst 18:04  |  Married to a Convert 15/01/08   32.   we live, love democracy and freedom 18:57  |  Federico Glez. 15/01/08   33.   Synagogue State Separation 23:24  |  Cosmo 15/01/08   34.   Haredim 00:31  |  RonH 16/01/08   35.   Torah observant does not = Jew. JewISH? Looking at the whole 05:51  |  Selah 16/01/08   36.   Rabbis are not Levis 14:12  |  Petra 16/01/08   37.   Yacov #23 One answer might be 14:16  |  Petra 16/01/08   38.   You Are Here But Not There 22:57  |  Yaakov Sullivan 16/01/08   39.   Please Wake Up Children Of Israel 01:53  |  Meyer Keslacy 17/01/08   40.   Yaakob, we not need a paper to be happy 01:55  |  Federico Glez. 17/01/08   41.   #1 Rabbis are out of touch with reality. 15:43  |  Petra 17/01/08   42.   How can you convert? 01:17  |  Alan 18/01/08   43.   Humanistic conversion is much easier 02:23  |  Yaakov Sullivan 18/01/08   44.   come on let me post this! are converts judaism considered semetic 04:13  |  muslim 18/01/08   45.   #44 14:20  |  Avi Yerushalmi 18/01/08   46.   Dear cousin, Muslim 16:14  |  Ariel Sion 18/01/08   47.   Serve your employer or your conscience. Your job is just a job. 16:18  |  David Turner 18/01/08   48.   Oved Yehezkel "hey, lets convert anyone, anytime, anywhere" 17:56  |  another olmert mess 18/01/08   49.   45. my dear cousin ariel, salaams 18:09  |  muslim 18/01/08   50.   Muslim, sorry, this is not your problem 01:01  |  Federico Glez 19/01/08   51.   #44 03:17  |  Alan 19/01/08   52.   Firing 14:40  |  M Swaid 19/01/08   53.   New title: AyaRabbi 02:35  |  fyt9v 20/01/08   54.   #31 married to a convert 08:07  |  judith 20/01/08   55.   Alan 08:09  |  judith 20/01/08   56.   Similar incident reported in Haaretz recently 16:23  |  Peter 20/01/08   57.   The subject of the word `Jew` is not religious but ethnic 11:32  |  Rowan Berkeley 21/01/08   58.   Converts are welcome !! 14:42  |  Alberto 21/01/08   59.   Cosmo 18:56  |  Deborah 21/01/08   60.   Reply to #44 23:49  |  Joseph 21/01/08   61.   muslim 02:43  |  sWeis Melbourne 22/01/08   62.   INVOLVE SHARANSKY IN CONVERSION 07:30  |  Efraim 22/01/08

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