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NEWS
Vaad HaRabbonim LeInyonei Giyur: The Government Has No
Authority to Make Promises on Clearly Halachic Issues
By Yechiel Sever
Following a remark by PM Ehud Olmert that he intends to solve
the "conversion crisis" within four months, the Vaad
HaRabbonim LeInyonei Giyur, founded by HaRav Chaim
Kreiswirth, zt"l, once again points out that Israel's
demographic problem cannot be solved through mass
conversion.
The rabbonim on the Vaad warn that if PM Olmert goes through
with his stated intentions of accelerating conversion, the
Vaad will issue international announcements stating that
conversions performed under the Government of Israel are
wholly unreliable.
The warning came in reaction to a letter Olmert sent to
Jewish leaders in the US, promising "the conversion crisis
would be solved within four months." The letter also said,
"The immigrants from the FSU are among our best soldiers and
top students, and conversion in Israel is a national
priority."
Vaad HaRabbonim LeInyonei Giyur responded with a statement
reading, "The demographic problem cannot be solved through
mass conversion and the government has no authority to make
promises on clearly halachic issues. If this happens,
choliloh, we will be forced to openly announce that
conversions done by the Government of Israel have no halachic
value and should not be relied on at all. We are certain that
every Orthodox rabbi will agree on this and the Orthodox
rabbis will set up a limited conversion program to meet the
very limited needs of gerei tzedek who genuinely want
to convert and alter their lives to a way of life in
accordance with halacha, with no compromises."
The Vaad also said, "The immigrants from the FSU, who
currently represent the vast majority of conversion
applicants, cannot be expected to undertake keeping Torah and
mitzvas in full and in earnest, through a fast, large-scale
procedure, especially as they have been severed from any
connection to Judaism for many decades."
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