A historic meeting took place in Jerusalem between the
poseik hador HaRav Y. S. Eliashiv and the Standing
Committee of the Conference of European Rabbis (CER). The
Gaon stressed inter alia the importance of ensuring
that all geirus procedures being currently conducted
in Europe should conform to the highest standards of
halacha. The rabbis also discussed with him the
problems facing Cohanim who leave Israel by air and
sought his advice as to the best way to deal with the issue
of aircraft flying over cemeteries. For some time the main
air route out of Israel has passed over the cemetery in
Holon.
The CER relocated its standing committee meeting from
Gibraltar to Jerusalem as a sign of solidarity with Israel
in light of the current situation. Meetings were also held
with the Chief Rabbis Lau and Bakshi Doron. Chief Rabbi Lau
clearly told the delegates that Rabbi Yosef Avior, a member
of the special Israeli Conversion Court headed by Rabbi
Chaim Druckman, or anyone else who comes from Israel to
deal with conversions in Europe, has absolutely no
permission from the Israeli Chief Rabbinate to do so. He
also said that the rabbis involved have been informed of
this and he was very upset by reports that his directives
are not heeded.
He also had an in-depth meeting with President M. Katsav at
his residence. The President invited the rabbis to conduct
a ma'ariv service in his newly-built synagogue
situated in the presidential garden.
The CER Standing Committee meeting was chaired by Chief
Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt of Moscow and discussed issues
concerning European kashrus standardization and the rise of
antisemitism since September 11th. The halachic
implications of identifying the victims of the bombing of
the Twin Towers and the recent plane disaster in Ukraine
were also discussed at length. For this complicated issue
Dr. Y. Levison, an expert from the Israeli Police, gave an
enlightening halachic and updated overview.
Chief Rabbis and communal rabbis from all over East and
West Europe attended and delivered reports concerning their
respective countries. A lunch in honor of the Standing
Committee was given by the World Jewish Congress who were
having their own convention for 700 delegates at the same
time. It was addressed by their Secretary General Dr.
Israel Singer and the Chief Rabbi of France Rabbi J.
Sitruk, president of the CER, responded. The Rabbis also
met with the family of Elchanan Tennenbaum, the Israeli
businessman who was kidnapped by the Hizbullah over a year
ago, and discussed a strategy for helping to publicize this
case in their respective countries.
