Yated Ne'eman recently learned that the administration
of the rabbinical courts, headed by Rabbi Eli Ben Dehan, is
transferring funds to the joint "Orthodox"-Reform-
Conservative conversion ulpan network. At the same
time, the Education Ministry has stopped their support of the
other, established Orthodox ulpanim in order to force
conversion candidates to register in the Joint ulpanim
for their study programs for conversion.
These joint ulpanim operate in complete violation of
the instructions of maranan verabonon, who have
forbidden every form of collaboration with Reform and
Conservative. The Chief Rabbinate of Israel issued a decision
on February 9, 1998 that it is inconceivable to establish a
joint conversion institute with the Reform and Conservative
after gedolei Yisroel prohibited all cooperation with
them or with their ideology.
Reliable sources told Yated Ne'eman that in the wake
of this new financial situation, nearly all the activities of
the Orthodox ulpanim have come to a halt.
The joint ulpanim are supported directly by the Jewish
Agency, but in turn it receives the funds from the rabbinical
courts administration, which is part of the Chief Rabbinate.
As a result of this funding, their activity has been
significantly expanded recently, especially following an
agreement concluded with neighborhood community centers
(matnasim) throughout the country to run these joint
ulpanim.
Yated Ne'eman has learned that the Education Ministry
has dismissed many of the teachers in the Orthodox
ulpanim. Also, teachers in the joint ulpanim
are paid three times as much as teachers in the older
ulpanim. Some of the teachers in these ulpanim
freely admit to their students that they desecrate Shabbos,
according to reliable sources.
The Special Conversion Court in Or Etzion, headed by Rabbis
Chaim Druckman and Yosef Avior, works closely with the joint
ulpanim and has even announced that it is "adopting"
them. Rabbis Druckman and Avior have conducted "conversion
ceremonies" for graduates of the joint ulpanim. A
second group of graduates will also be "converted" soon by
them.
Yated has also learned that by the winter, all the
special conversion courts will cooperate with the
administration of the joint conversion institutes by their
conducting an initial interview, opening files and arranging
for an appointment to meet the beis din.
In the wake of refusals of mikvehs in the north of the
country to permit graduates of the joint ulpanim to
immerse on their premises for their dubious conversions,
Rabbis Avior and Druckman conducted the immersions in Or
Etzion.
This summer, the rabbonim of the Vaad HaRabbonim Haolami
LeInyonei Giyur headed by HaRav Chaim Kreiswirth the
Gaavad of Antwerp, interviewed thirty people who had
been "converted" in the special conversion court, including
the court in Or Etzion and other courts located elsewhere in
Israel. None could present the slightest evidence that he or
she does, indeed, now observe Torah and mitzvos.
Chairman of the joint ulpanim, Professor Benny Ish
Shalom, recently declared that he hopes to open 100
ulpanim and within two or three years to convert
20,000 people annually. He also said that the courts
conducting the "conversion" ceremonies will be under the
auspices of the rabbinical courts, which will conduct
"conversions" for graduates of his ulpanim.
After undergoing their "conversion" ceremonies, graduates of
these ulpanim received the approval of the director of
the rabbinical courts, Rabbi Eli Ben Dehan, who even
instructed those in charge of mikvo'os and other
involved parties to let graduates of the ulpanim use
their premises. Professor Ish Shalom has confirmed that the
network of joint ulpanim functions in full
collaboration with the administration of the rabbinical
courts.
The Vaad rejected claims of the special conversion courts
that the curriculum of the joint institutes is similar to
that of the old conversion courses. The Vaad spokesman said
that the courts convert relying basically on knowledge
without properly ascertaining the true sincerity of the
candidate to fully accept all the mitzvos. Candidates who
studied with teachers who say publicly that they do not
observe Shabbos cannot be expected to observe Shabbos
themselves.
"The current situation is appalling. It is clear beyond a
doubt that granting legitimacy to graduates of the joint
ulpanim will cause a further deterioration in the
sincerity of conversion candidates," said a Vaad
spokesman.
The spokesman for the Vaad wishes to encourage those who
staunchly refuse to collaborate with these special conversion
courts. He noted that maranan verabonon the gedolei
haTorah have forbidden any collaboration whatsoever with
these people, whom they call, ". . .destroyers of religion
who falsify the Torah and have brought about the assimilation
which prevails in the Diaspora and the destruction of
Judaism."
Rabbi Eli Ben Dehan admitted to Yated that funds for
the joint ulpanim do, indeed, pass through his office.
However, he claimed that he serves only as a conduit. With
respect to the instructions he gave to those in charge of
mikvo'os, he said that it is his opinion that the
clerks should not have expressed any opinion on the issue (by
refusing to allow the use of the mikvo'os), since an
authorized beis din of the Chief Rabbinate had signed
the conversion certificates.
The spokesman of the Vaad Haolami LeInyonei Giyur was very
surprised by these remarks, because Rabbi Ben Dehan was
appointed by the Chief Rabbinate to ensure that the
activities of the botei din comply with the guidelines
of the Chief Rabbinate. They were also surprised to hear that
he is, indeed, aware of the fact that they do not function
according to these guidelines, as is clear from the admitted
facts mentioned above.
A senior official in the Chief Rabbinate told the Vaad that
the Chief Rabbinate said previously that the special
conversion courts should sever their relationship with the
joint conversion institutes, and the Chief Rabbinate is not
responsible for those who violate these instructions.
Still, Rabbi Ben Dehan approves conversions done in
cooperation with the joint institutes. A Yated
reporter met with Rabbi Ben Dehan who refused to give any
substantive reply and just attacked Yated for its
strong position that was taken under the direct guidance of
maranan verabonon.
