IDF Chief Rabbi Brigadier General Yisrael Weiss has confirmed
that the IDF conversion beis din he heads converts
hundreds of soldiers.
During an interview last week, when asked whether an option
is available for soldiers to undergo conversion following
their military induction Weiss replied, "What a question! I
have been involved in conversions as long as the army has
been involved in conversions, and I convert everyone who
wants to become a part of the Jewish people. Not harshly, but
in a civilized, friendly and humane manner, according to the
criteria. Look at the hundreds of people we have converted
and you'll see the results speak for themselves...On one hand
we adhere to the halacha, but on the other hand we are
careful to be humane, and the two are not contradictory, but
complementary."
The specialized IDF beis din consists of Rabbi Weiss;
Lieutenant Colonel Rabbi Shachar Matana, head of the Division
of Personnel Management; and Dayan Avraham Elmeliach, the
only dayan on the bench.
During a meeting of the Chief Rabbinate Council last year
Rabbi Weiss said the IDF only converts soldiers when it is
convinced they will keep Torah and mitzvos. "If we are unsure
about someone we do not convert him," he said. According to
Rabbi Weiss, every year approximately 100 soldiers convert,
saying, "I don't see a large influx or an increase in the
number of requests." The conversion process extends over a
period of two years, during which an IDF rabbi is assigned to
each candidate to teach him the basic religious precepts.
Rabbi Weiss acknowledges that the majority of requests are
made by female soldiers, despite the fact that they generally
serve a much shorter period than male soldiers, who are also
far more likely to remain in career service. Last week, for
example, he completed conversion proceedings for 16 soldiers
of which only two were male soldiers.
Last year there was a long article in Yated which
discolsed many shortcomings in the IDF conversion process,
which functions under strict army security. However the
Yated, together with the Vaad Horabbonim Haolami
Leinyonei Giyur founded by HaRav Chaim Kreiswirth, was able
to find out details. The Vaad repeats the demand of the
gedolei haposkim that the IDF should not deal with
conversion matters. All conversion matters should be the
responsibility of qualified botei din, staffed by
dayanim who are talmidei chachomim and yirei
Shomayim who will ascertain that the candidates sincerely
accept Torah and mitzvos.
