A delegation of rabbonim made a round of visits at the homes
of gedolei Yisroel in preparation for the World
Rabbinical Conference scheduled to take place in Jerusalem
from Tammuz 21-23, addressing the issue of conversion.
As part of preparations for the convention, project
organizers headed by HaRav Leib Tropper, rosh yeshiva of
Yeshivas Kol Yaakov (named after HaRav Yaakov Kamenetsky) in
Monsey, paid a visit to Eretz Yisroel. HaRav Tropper heads a
US organization called Horizons, which has achieved success
in supporting halachic conversion and limiting
assimilation.
The delegation, headed by HaRav Shmuel Eliezer Stern, a
moreh tzedek at the beis din of HaRav Shmuel
Wosner and author of Geirus Kehalochoh, visited HaRav
Chaim Pinchos Scheinberg, the Admor of Tzanz and HaRav
Yisroel Hager. A different delegation, including HaRav
Simchah Kook and HaRav Nochum Eisenstein, visited the Admor
of Belz.
The Admor of Belz told the rabbonim that the conversion
situation is going from bad to worse. "Recently there have
been more and more cases of Jews marring people considered
converts while in reality they were non-Jews in every way,
and when the bitter truth became known it was already too
late to remedy the situation. In my opinion there is no
alternative other than to introduce a `Sefer Yuchsin'
[i.e. genealogy records], which would list those whose
Jewishness is not cast in doubt and marriage registration
among Torah-true Jews would be conducted according to this
alone."
The upcoming conference is expected to draw gedolei
Torah from Eretz Yisroel, as well as special guests from
chutz la'aretz including HaRav Aharon Feldman, rosh
yeshiva of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel of Baltimore, and the Admor
of Biala of Lugano, who are both planning to travel to Eretz
Yisroel to take part in the conference. Directors of
educational institutions, notably institutions for baalei
teshuvoh, are also expected to attend.
Conference organizers have divided the event into five
sessions, including one devoted to the topic of marriage
registration.
The event is being sponsored by the Kaplan brothers of New
York.
