At the biannual convention of the Conference of European
Rabbis (CER) in London last week Chief Rabbi of France and
CER President HaRav Yosef Sitruk told a Yated Ne'eman
reporter that the Standing Committee had decided any rov
kehiloh who does not adhere to performing conversion only
according to halochoh would be dismissed from the
organization.
Despite his fragile state of health, HaRav Sitruk traveled to
England to deliver a charged address about the heavy
responsibility placed on the rabbonim, stressing that a
Jewish community cannot be run without daas Torah. "I
always asked gedolei Torah every step of the way. Not
just questions of issur veheter, but every facet of
community life must be handled by constantly consulting with
gedolei Torah."
On the first evening of the convention a delegation of
notable participants met with British Prime Minister Tony
Blair at Number 10 Downing Street to thank him for his
support for the Jewish people, especially the Jews of
England. "All my life I have been a friend to the Jewish
people and to the State of Israel and I am proud of that," he
said. "I am pleased the rabbis of Europe chose to hold the
jubilee convention in London to mark the formation of the
Conference in Britain after the Holocaust and to mark the
return of the Jews to Britain 350 years ago. Britain will
continue to assist Israel maintain its security and combat
terror. The war in Iraq also assists Israel, which suffers
from terror not only from its Palestinian neighbors but also
from the wider circle such as Iran and Iraq."
Blair condemned antisemitism in Europe, particularly the
recent spate of incidents in his own country. The rabbis then
thanked the Prime Minister for his support of religious
matters such as halting a bill to ban shechitoh, as
well as expanding Jewish education and building new Jewish
schools. Blair said he greatly admires Jewish education and
the traditional Jewish way of life, saying it has much to
contribute to moral and family values in England and all of
Europe.
Hundreds of rabbonim, dayonim, heads of Jewish organizations
and guests from 30 countries participated in the 25th CER
convention, held at the Riverbank Park Plaza Hotel, located
on the Thames River. The theme of this year's convention was
Medicine - Ethics and Halacha.
In his opening speech the host, British Chief Rabbi and CER
Associate President Sir Jonathan Sacks said that the
convention was sure to strengthen Jewish communities
throughout Europe and reinforce the influence and status of
the rabbonim.
HaRav Sitruk said during these times of terror and
uncertainty around the world Jewish leaders have an
obligation to bolster Torah life and mitzvah observance and
engage in outreach. Guest of Honor HaRav Yisroel Lau surveyed
the 50-year history of the CER and extended blessings to the
participants.
The opening session was led by HaRav Pinchos Goldschmidt of
Moscow, who debated whether today's challenges in Europe are
harder or easier than in the past. "We face the difficult
problem of assimilation and other problems," he said. "The
only advice is the following foundations: strengthening ties
with gedolei Yisroel poskei hador shlita and with
Hamelamed Torah Le'amo Yisroel."
The events schedule included shiurim given by HaRav
Yehoshua Neuwirth, HaRav Moshe Mordechai Farbstein, Rabbi Dr.
Mordechai Halperin, Prof. Avraham Avraham, Prof. Avraham
Steinberg and HaRav Lau.
Dozens of international diplomats took part in a special
dinner on the final evening sponsored by the World Jewish
Congress and hosted by Israel Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar. The
guest list included ranking European Commission officials and
ambassadors from the European Union, Israel, North African
countries and other countries.
In the closing speech the next day, Secretary General Rabbi
Abba Dunner said that the organization would assist any
Jewish community forming in Eastern Europe set up a mikveh
that meets high halachic standards. Rabbi Dunner
explained that the CER was prepared to make this pledge
— provided the community has a rabbinical authority and
an available building — because a kehilloh based
on the tenets of the Jewish religion cannot survive without a
local mikveh.
HaRav Dunner said the CER's vision for the coming years
includes the formation of kollelim in every Jewish
community, especially in Germany and Hungary, saying that the
local rov cannot run educational and Torah programs without
such infrastructures. He said every rov should be chosen by
the local kehilloh, which has the authority to make
the appointment. He added that the CER would work toward the
setup of an umbrella organization of all the organizations
and individuals operating in Jewish outreach in Europe.
CER Issues Decisions
The three-day conference ended last Thursday in London with a
series of decisions read aloud by HaRav Moshe Lebel, rosh
yeshiva of Yeshivas Toras Chaim in Moscow. "The CER is
shocked by the rising wave of antisemitism and calls on the
heads of state to condemn in every way manifestations of
hatred among men and nations and to halt the manifestations
of anti-Israel hostility and antisemitism, which is rearing
its head."
The decisions also called for all Jewish communities "to
unite around the Jewish tradition handed down to us from
generation to generation, which is the only guarantee of the
continued existence of the Jewish people. The Conference
expresses its satisfaction with the European Union's stance
regarding the understanding of the security of the
inhabitants of the Holy Land and the condemnation of terror,
and joins the recognition of Israel's desire for a true,
viable peace with its neighbors.
"The Standing Committee has taken note of the deep-seated
abhorrence for every act of conversion not in accordance with
halochoh and demands its members, particularly all of the
rabbis of Europe, not take part in such wayward acts.
"The Conference sees Jewish education and heightening Jewish
identity as cornerstones of preserving the integrity and
unity of the Jewish people and issues a call to refrain from
every act that could increase assimilation and division in
the Jewish people.
"The CER calls for increasing traditional Jewish education,
the preparation of programs in the area of Jewish identity
and Jewish tradition and strengthening the framework of the
Jewish family."
