The Rabbinical Conference for the Correction of Conversion
closed last week in Jerusalem with a series of decisions
calling for stricter guidelines requiring solid proof that
conversion candidates have genuine intentions to keep Torah
and mitzvos before approving their conversion.
It should be stressed that the focus of concern are the so-
called Orthodox conversions which are being conducted world-
wide and do not meet proper halachic standards. Reform and
Conservative ceremonies are widely recognized to be
worthless. Repeatedly throughout the Conference, rabbonim
said that any conversion without a full and sincere
kabolas mitzvos at the time of the conversion is null
and void even bedi'eved. In the first plenum session
HaRav Nochum Eisenstein announced that Maran HaRav Eliashiv
had said the previous day at the opening session of the
Conference that its central message is to uproot Special
Conversion Courts throughout the world, whose sole function
is to encourage conversions without insisting that they meet
proper standards. Many Israeli rabbonim who attended the
Conference said that in their ongoing experience, most of the
converts who apply to them for certification for marriage
registration do not meet minimum standards.
The closing session of the conference, sponsored by Horizons
— The Jewish Pride Through Education Project, was led
by Rabbi Shlomo Rosenstein, who articulated the conference
members' feelings of appreciation towards the Kaplan family
for funding Horizons, notably by providing millions of
dollars to remedy the state of affairs in the area of
conversion.
During the three days of the conference, the participating
rabbonim were exposed to numerous problems that emerge in
conversion, marriage registration and gittin, and had
an opportunity to ask morei horo'oh halachic questions
regarding specific cases.
The central session was held in the afternoon of the second
day and led by Rabbi Binyomin Cohen. It began with a
shiur by HaRav Boruch Dov Povarsky, one of the roshei
yeshiva of Yeshivas Ponovezh, on the halochos regarding
accepting converts and accepting the yoke of Torah and
mitzvos. He noted that dayonim who accept non-Jews have a
tremendous responsibility to insure that the conversion is
performed halachically.
During the course of the session, when reports of a Katyusha
attack in the North came in, HaRav Yisroel Roshatzky, the rov
of Mevo'ot HaHermon, led the recitation of
Tehillim.
Subsequent speakers included HaRav Shmuel Auerbach, the
reading of a letter from the Gavad of Erlau, HaRav Boruch
Mordechai Ezrachi, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Ateres Yisroel,
HaRav Shalom Cohen, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Porat Yosef,
HaRav Boruch Horowitz, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Dvar
Yerushalayim, HaRav Tzvi Abramovitz, rov of Chatzor Haglilit,
and the son of the Admor of Bialeh, who conveyed his father's
blessings.
HaRav Yitzchok Peretz, the rov of Raanana, said certain
government officials are trying to bring non-Jews into Kerem
Beis Yisroel, thereby creating two peoples in Eretz Yisroel.
Today 70 percent of arriving immigrants are non-Jews compared
with 30 percent when he was serving as Absorption Minister,
thus fake conversions must be thoroughly uprooted, he
said.
HaRav Reuven Feinstein, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Staten
Island and rabbinical chairman of Horizons, speaking at the
final session, thanked the rabbonim for taking the time to
participate in the conference. He noted that some of the
rabbonim even left towns and cities under the threat of
Katyusha rocket attacks in order to address the danger to
Klal Yisroel posed by portzei geder trying to bring
non- Jews into Am Yisroel without even demanding they accept
the yoke of mitzvos before their so-called conversions.
HaRav Leib Tropper, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Kol Yaakov in
Monsey, said Eternal Jewish Family, a division of Horizons,
aims at smoothing the path for earnest geirim, but
insists on thorough inquiries to verify they genuinely intend
to keep Torah and mitzvos. He then announced the opening of a
special program of classes and exams on conversion halochoh,
based on the Shulchan Oruch and rulings by leading
poskim on contemporary problems. Designed for rabbonim
and avreichim studying for semichoh, the
program insures they absorb the relevant dinim and how
to apply them in various types of conversion cases.
Attorney Marvin Jacob, who is active in Horizons' activities
in the US, said he is very impressed with the organization's
efforts to combat assimilation and thanked Rabbi Menachem
Lubinsky and his Lubicom staff for their assistance in
setting up the organization and conveying messages to the
American public.
HaRav Avrohom Direnfeld of Tel Aviv delivered a
brochoh from the Admor of Belz and recounted a recent
incident involving a non-Jewish family seeking to undergo
"conversion" without any intentions of keeping Torah and
mitzvos, yet nobody stood in their way.
Conference sponsor Mr. Thomas Kaplan gave the closing
address, noting the factors that induced his family to start
the foundation to buttress the walls of Judaism. He pledged
that the family would continue to insure that conversions are
not done lightly.
The speeches were followed by a heated symposium in which
rabbonim, avos botei din, dayonim and marriage
registrars posed questions to Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar, who
listened attentively, took notes and offered comments, though
he did not answer any of the questions directly.
Citing instances in which couples sought to register for
marriage or receive recognition as converts, they made
various suggestions to remedy the situation, including the
setup of a committee to investigate the kashrus of converts
who converted during the height of the Conversion
Administration's activities before Rav Amar became Chief
Rabbi.
The Chief Rabbi heard and took notes on 18 questions,
promising to reply after clarifying the matters. Later he
discussed his efforts to rectify problems in the area of
conversion and the authority vested in the botei din,
saying that since the dismantling of the Religious Affairs
Ministry and the transfer of authority to the Justice
Ministry, the Chief Rabbinate has had to work hard to solve
the numerous problems that have arisen.
HaRav Shlomo Ben Shimon conveyed the support of Beis Din
Hagodol and offered blessings of siyata deShmaya to
the participants. HaRav Dov Lior, the rov of Kiryat Arba,
also thanked the activists who brought the issue to the
public's attention, saying they would undoubtedly merit
success in all their endeavors.
Vaad HaRabbonim Haolami LeInyonei Giyur (founded by HaRav
Chaim Kreiswirth zt"l) Chairman HaRav Nachum
Eisenstein, who has been warning for years about the dire
state of conversion in Eretz Yisroel, said the
conference brought optimism and hope that, be'ezras
Hashem, the blight of false conversions in Eretz Yisroel
and around the world could be overcome. He suggested that he
might be undergoing a "conversion" from pessimism to optimism
about the prospects for upholding proper conversion
standards.
HaRav Shmuel Eliezer Stern, a member of the Presidential
Board of the conference and the author of Geirus
Kehalochoh, called for prayers the good intentions of the
conference organizers and participants would ameliorate the
situation and bring to fruition the prophecy, "Ve'oshivoh
shoftayich kevorishonoh, veyoatzayich kevatechiloh, acharei
chein yikorei loch ir hatzedek kiryoh ne'emonoh"
(Yeshayohu 1:26; "And I will restore your judges as at
the first, and your counselors as at the beginning;
afterwards you will be called the City of Righteousness, a
faithful city.")
Throughout the conference the dayonim in attendance said the
conversion issue should be restored to prominent, established
regional botei din and the special conversion courts
should be uprooted entirely.
The conference decisions were read aloud by HaRav Simchoh
Hacohen Kook, the chief rabbi of Rechovot (see sidebar).
The rabbinical board that was involved in organizing the
Conference, expressed its determination to continue with its
efforts to implement the decisions of the Conference. They
also expressed their appreciation to the Israeli English
Yated for being on the forefront of reporting on the
conversion issues fully and properly in the spirit of what is
written in this week's parsha: Lo soguru mipnei
ish.
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Decisions Announced at End of Rabbinical Conference
* The conference participants offer a prayer for the success
of Am Yisroel in the campaign imposed upon it from the
north and the south, send condolences to the bereaved
families that lost loved ones in the murderous attacks and
pray the captives will return to their families soon. We
offer our support and encouragement to those on the various
fronts, who will merit siyata deShmaya in defeating
our enemies who have risen up against us.
* The Jerusalem conference supports dayonim in every location
who convert converts in accordance with das Moshe
veYisroel and in accordance with halochoh accepted from
generation to generation without any deviation. Conversion is
wholly contingent on accepting all of the Torah and its
mitzvos. Any conversion inconsistent with the demands of
halochoh, in which the candidate lacks acceptance of the
Torah and genuinely wants to go under the wing of the
Shechinoh, has no validity.
* The conference blesses the geirei hatzedek, whom we
are commanded to love, as is written, "Ve'ohavtem es
hageir" (Devorim 10:19). They have left behind worldly
pleasures of their own volition and joined the inheritance of
Hashem's servants.
* Conversion must be performed within the framework of
prominent, established botei din in Eretz Hakodesh
and in every other location, and not in other
frameworks.
* The conference would like to notify the rabbonim and
marriage registrars of the decisions of gedolei hador
of 5744 (1984), which stated that the rabbonim and marriage
registrars have an obligation to verify that any conversion
brought before them included the acceptance of Torah laws. In
any case of doubt [the marriage applicants] should be
referred back to the regional beis din to determine
whether there is a need for another conversion. Converts who
are uncertain whether they underwent a proper conversion are
welcome to turn to the botei din to clarify their
status.
* Intermarried couples will be handled by the botei
din in accordance with halochoh, to offer encouragement
to converts who converted properly and to assist them in
ruchniyus and gashmiyus, to advise and direct
them. To provide them help and accompaniment at the beis
knesses and to host them at the homes of families that
will serve as a source of support.
* The conference is publicizing these fundamental decisions
reached unanimously at the Rabbinical Conference held in
Jerusalem to the entire Jewish world — Ki miTzion
tetzei Torah.
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