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NEWS
Prime Minister's Office Doubles Conversion Rate
By Eliezer Rauchberger
The conversion section at the Prime Minister's Office nearly
doubled the number of so-called conversions performed in 2004
for immigrants from the former Soviet Union according to the
figures presented to the Knesset Immigration and Absorption
Committee.
According to the report by Moshe Klein, head of conversion at
the Prime Minister's Office, in 2003 there were 919 such
conversions, while in 2004 that number rose to 1,730.
Interior Minister Ophir Pines, who participated in the
meeting, said he opposes requiring prospective converts to
commit to keeping mitzvas and called for this regulation to
be revamped. "I do not agree that an individual undergoing
conversion must become religious," he said. "This practice
can and should be reexamined."
MK Rabbi Avrohom Ravitz raised strong objections, saying MK
Pines should not interfere or express his opinions on matters
of conversion. "First of all Pines should get to know his
ministry well. There are many flaws there in the local
authorities and the religious councils. First he should see
to it that the municipalities pay their share to the
religious councils and work on properly administering his
ministry. I suggest he not handle religious matters because
one must learn many years before offering an opinion on how
to join Judaism. If he thinks that joining Judaism is like
joining a club in Raanana, that is a mistake. Even in that
case there are clear criteria. There nobody would dictate how
to decide on the important procedure of joining Judaism. For
this we have rabbis and halacha. Joining Judaism must only be
according to halacha."
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