A secret document of the Chief Rabbinate was forwarded to the
editorial board of Yated Ne'eman via a prominent
dayan in the rabbinical court system. It discloses
that six special conversion courts under the aegis of the
Conversion Administration are currently functioning
throughout the country, and more than 30 dayanim are
involved in the conversions it conducts.
As specified in the instructions issued on the 28th of Iyar
5758 by the Chief Rabbi Yisroel Meir Lau, the Rabbinate
recognizes only conversions conducted in courts with approved
formations, and which include at least one dayan
certified by the Rabbinate.
The list of the country's dayanim shows clearly that
most of those involved in conversions on behalf of the
Conversion Administration are affiliated with the national
religious camp.
Last month, Yated Ne'eman reported on Rabbi Chaim
Druckman's conversion of a minor who appealed to the High
Court to recognize his Conservative conversion. The media
reported that the court which converted the child included
Rabbis Druckman, Kfir and Avior. However, according to the
Rabbinate's document obtained by the Yated, Rabbi
Druckman's court does not the criteria for recognition, and
that is why the Rabbinate refused to approve the
conversion.
Those involved in the case are checking the still unverified
reports that even though Chief Rabbi Lau's office did not
approve the conversion, a senior official in the Rabbinate,
who currently is not responsible for conversion issues,
approved the conversion even though it did not in fact meet
the standards.
Prominent dayanim stressed that the decision made at
last year's convention of dayanim was not changed at
this year's convention. This decision states that, "It is
unthinkable to enable conversions to take place in frameworks
other than the rabbinical courts." This decision was made as
a result of the existence of various courts which conduct
"quickie conversions" in an assembly-line manner, without
investigating the true intentions of the candidate.
On the other hand, there is no opposition to establishing
special rabbinical courts, comprised of talmidei
chachomim and yirei Shomayim, who have access to
the means for investigating and examining the intentions of a
conversion candidate in a thorough manner. As maranan
verabonon of all times have stressed, before accepting a
convert into the Jewish faith, the dayan must be
absolutely certain of the convert's intention to fully accept
the yoke of Torah and mitzvah observance. Conversion without
the acceptance of Torah and mitzvos is not conversion, even
bedi'eved.
Senior dayanim praised the efforts of Chief Rabbi Lau
to strengthen the frameworks of the rabbinical courts
involved in conversions, and his initiative to certify only
those rabbinical courts which meet all of the halachic and
practical demands.
At this opportunity, the Vaad HaRabbonim Haolami LeInyonei
Giyur headed by HaRav Chaim Kreiswirth of Antwerp, reissues
an earlier warning against conversion institutions that are
not directed by proper rabbinical authority, specifically the
conversion institutes opened in Carmiel with the
participation of Reform and Conservative. The Vaad spokesman
wishes to make clear that the conversion institutes only
prepare candidates for conversion, while the actual
conversion has to be conducted by an approved rabbinical
court. The rabbinical courts will only accept candidates who
are sincerely willing to accept all Torah and mitzvos.
Candidates prepared by Reform and Conservative, who
themselves do not believe in Torah miSinai, are
unlikely to meet these criteria.
