Bill granting Rabbinate monopoly on conversions sparks fiery debate
Reform and Conservative leaders lash out, calling proposed law 'unfair'.
By Raphael AhrenThe author of a controversial bill that would grant the Chief Rabbinate sole authority over the conversion process in Israel said this week that he has little regard for non-Orthodox streams of Judaism. He also said that he won't be intimidated by threats that world Jewry would withdraw its support for Israel if his legislation passed, provoking hefty protests from opponents of the bill.
"I am in favor of one Judaism. In my opinion, there's only one Judaism. There are no three Judaisms," MK David Rotem (Yisrael Beiteinu) said during a fierce debate Monday at the Jewish Agency's board of governors meeting in Jerusalem. Addressing the agency's "Unity of the Jewish People Committee," Rotem, an Orthodox Jew, traded harshly worded accusations with leaders of the American Jewish community and non-Orthodox movements in Israel.
 |
|
| Photo by: Tess Scheflan |
"I want you to know one thing: I am an Orthodox Jew. I was born Orthodox and I believe that I will die Orthodox. Don't be confused, that's a fact," the Yisrael Beitenu politician said, eliciting loud complaints from the 50-odd listeners.
Rotem, chairman of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, said his bill is intended to ease the bottleneck of conversions in the country by allowing municipal rabbis to perform conversions, which currently very few courts are authorized to do. Rotem asserts the bill would help 350,000 mainly Russian-speaking non-Jews living in Israel. Opponents argue it discriminates against non-Orthodox streams as it gives sole oversight in the conversion process to the Rabbinate, which is Orthodox.
This summer, Rotem traveled to the U.S. to promote his bill, but enormous opposition by Jewish leaders there led Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off the Knesset vote on it. In recent weeks, the fight over conversions was opened on another front as well, when Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar asked a committee to determine whether he should endorse conversions performed in the army, which Haredi leaders reject as too lenient.
During Monday's Jewish Agency session, which was moderated by its chairman, Natan Sharansky, Rotem tried again to convince Diaspora leaders of the value of his bill.
"The only way we can [improve the current conversion system] is if conversion is done according to Orthodox halakha and not according to Reform or Conservative halakha, if there is such a thing," Rotem said, speaking in English. "If you are telling somebody that he can convert in a Reform or Conservative way and then to come to Israel and be a part of the Jewish nation you are cheating him," he added, referring to the fact that the Rabbinate will not serve those converts in the areas of weddings and divorce, and might not recognize a convert's children as Jewish. Conversions conducted by non-Orthodox movements are recognized by Israel's secular authorities but not by the Rabbinate, which is in charge of life cycle events in Israel.
"Don't calls us cheaters. It's not fair and it's not nice," interjected Rabbi Meir Azari, former director of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism and currently the senior rabbi at Beit Daniel in Tel Aviv, Israel's largest Reform community.
"I think it was quite clear that [Rotem's] presentation offended many, including Modern Orthodox representatives that were there," Azari told Anglo File after the meeting. "I got so many remarks from North American people sitting in the committee that feel bad about his attitude toward Reform rabbis. This meeting instilled more hate, and the only benefit that I can see is that more Jewish leaders from around the world saw the real face of Rotem's intention."
Harvey Blitz, a former president of the Orthodox Union, told Rotem in the meeting, "What bothers me about your position is that instead of it being about how we can best maximize the opportunity of conversion, it has become a judgmental discussion of whose conversion is better and whose is worse. I have no interest in that. That's not what we're sitting here trying to do."
Jerry Silverman, president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, questioned whether the committee members understood Rotem's true intentions. "I think it was very unnerving and very uncomfortable for people to hear that from somebody who leads such an important committee in the Knesset," he told Anglo File. "It created a sense of disappointment. It's really the first time that many of those people had a live exposure to this issue, and to MK Rotem, so it's a first time they were able to release their emotions and passions, which also were very aggressive."
Rabbi Stanley Davids, former president of the Association of Reform Zionists of America, said many American Jews consider Rotem "an enemy of the future of the Jewish state." His bill "has turned significant numbers of people away from the state of Israel," added Davids, who immigrated to Israel in 2004. Rotem fought back that the hostile reactions to his proposal by the Reform and Conservative movements have caused that about-face. "I was held at gunpoint in the United States when I met with leaders of the Reform and Conservative movements, and [one person] told me: 'If you go on with this law, we will not support the state of Israel,'" Rotem said. "Don't threaten me with 'We are not going to support the state of Israel if you are going on with this law.' I am not afraid."
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
The only solution is to completely remove the ultra-orthodox occupation of Judaism - these people who believe that G-d handed down 9 commandments (thous shalt not steal is alien to them), have succeeded in puting sommany Jews off Judaism - they are the ugly face of Judaism - and they should certainly not have a monopoly.
G-d bless this man!
...there would be no Judaism today and no Israel today. Reform and Conservative only tag along for the ride. They get all hissy when this truth becomes obvious.
lets be honest the only way that tjis religion will continue is through the orthodox, every other platform is losing members by the hundreds. let us face the facts
Already approves only Orthodox conversions. The bill won't change that - it would only grant more people the authority the perform such conversions. Maybe those who underwent other forms of conversions are registered as Jews by the State and are granted citizenship automatically, but as the article said - the Rabbinate, which is the official branch of government (by law) in charge of Jewish "personal status" (marriage, divorce, conversions in Israel) won't accept them. What people don't seem to figure out is that ALL CONVERSIONS IN ISRAEL (which are recognized by the state) ALWAYS HAVE BEEN ORTHODOX.
Finally someone who stands up for Judaism in the Land of Israel. Reform and Conservative have been responsible for the loss of hundreds of thousands of Jews to Judaism. They are artificial German assimilationist religions transferred to the US and they have no place in Artzeinu HaKedosha.
Orthodox Judaism doesn't see other "views" about Judaism as acceptable... what a great shock. As if it had not been known since the creation of the other "streams". All of a sudden they are insulted. Next thing you know they won't accept secularism....
MK Rotem is nt interested in the future of Israel or of the Jewish People. He is following his own tunnel vision. Like many in the orthodox community he is polarized by his own religious agenda. He has no interest in the lives of 300,000 Israeli's who are discriminated against by the Rabbinute.
Outside Israel, there seem to be 3 branches of Judaism: Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform plus a small sect called Hassidic. Inside Israel, we also seem to have three branches: Ashkenazi (Orthodox), Sepharadic, and Haredi. These three groups also ofthen disagree quite strongly. So we know that Judaism is divided into at least 3 groups. What are the three groups. If we can't live in peace with our fellow Jews, what chance do we have?
It is inconceivable that in the year 2010 - living in a proclaimed democratic State that guarantees freedom of choice and freedom of religion - we should still be subjected to the manipulative and oppressive practices of an oligarchic, theocratic minority that has - even greater incongruity! - access to the decision-making process in the Knesset - and that presumes to impose its dictates to the majority of the citizens of the country who are secular by practice as well as by belief, Not only that - this bill would also impact on millions of Reform and Conservative Jews in the Diaspora and would place into question not only their beliefs but also their entire congregations, practices and spiritual leaders, alienating them and discouraging them from considering both support for Israel as well as making Aliyah.
religion, even that of a majority, has strictly nothing to do in parliament and it is not the business of the state to rule about it. If citizens of other religions are equal, which is essential to democracy the parliament should also deal with the rules of Islam in Israël. Stupidity.
Enough with the Orthodox monopoly! Israel is a modern state, not a medieval ghetto ruled by obscurantist rabbis.
But unlike you I do not see the Haredi chief rabbinate representing my views of of the majority of my constituency. WE need new modern orthodox leadership in Israel with rabbis committed to religious Zionism and outreach to all Jews
I never feared for the survival of Israel but now I do! IF Rotem has his way, Israel will soon resemble a "taliban" country. We must remember, the Haredim were NOT instrumental in the establishment of Israel and they have hijacked my most precious Israel and are turning it into a horrific theocracy. Modernists and Zionists had the vision to create Israel, not the Haredim. We must stop these fanatics at all cost. The Haredim are leading all of us to the destruction.
Michael, you are painting all of Orthodox Judaism with one broad brush. Please understand that there are many paths of Orthodox Judaism (Modern Orthodox, etc.) and not all of them view the world the same way. Even in this article there were Orthodox organizations (Orthodox Union) that were upset at Rotem's position.
Orthodox arrived here 15th century from Spain, another wave from Russian arrived early 19th century, long before the hippy zionists did. and there were orthodox communities decimated by the christians in the early thirteenth century, left over overs of the ancient community.
only the Orthodox live and breathe by the good book and put a stop to anti-goyim or anti-gentile thoughts and remarks which only breeds more anti-semitism anyhow
Judaism is FAR older than any of the other movements, and in fact was the only thing that preserved Jewish identity in the near 2 thousand years of exile. And Rotem is certainly NOT Haredi,
As much as I agree with Michael that Israel must not become a theocracy, which is not the intention of this legislation, we must remember and maintain an uncomfortable fact - that the liberal/reform/progressive/conservative movements do not practice Judaism - they selectively take Jewish rituals, customs, culture and ornaments and have created a bastardised hybrid in fitting with their own lifestyle, which they claim is under the umbrella of Judaism. You don't want to hear this, but they are about as much Jewish as Jews for Jesus / Messianic Jews are - which is zero. You can not pick and chose, you can not rewrite religion. What you can do is create a new religion (eg Joseph Smith, L Ron Hubbard) You are either a believer, or a heretic - and you should be happy with your choice. It is high time that worldwide Jewry stopped behaving so desperate for numbers by accepting non-orthodox practices into the fold. Let them change their name, call themselves something that is completely disassociated with the words Jew/Jewish/Judaism/Israel. Diluting a religion and picking and choosing what is convenient for your lifestyle - example marrying a non jewish girl, on shabbat, under a huppa, while wearing a tallit, including but not limited to while in the presence of a former US President - IS NOT JUDAISM.