More than 300 rabbonim and dayonim are taking part in the
50th anniversary convention of the Conference of European
Rabbis (CER) in London this week. Letters of support for the
three-day convention were sent by Maran HaRav Eliashiv and
Maran HaRav Shteinman shlita. This time the biennial
conference will focus on medicine and halochoh.
A large delegation of rabbonim from former Soviet countries,
led by Moscow Av Beis Din HaRav Pinchos Goldschmidt, also
arrived to take part in the event that was scheduled for
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.
The conference was opened by host Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks,
chief rabbi of England and CER co-president, HaRav Sitruk,
chief rabbi of France and CER president, and the guest of
honor HaRav Yisroel Meir Lau, chief rabbi of Tel Aviv. The
opening session was led by Rabbi Dr. Mordechai Halperin.
Immediately afterwards a shiur was given by HaRav
Yehoshua Neuwirth, author of Shemiras Shabbos
Kehilchoso, on the topic of practical halochoh related to
the immune system. The discussion was led by HaRav Chanoch
Ehrentreu, a dayan in London. In an adjacent hall HaRav Moshe
Mordechai Farbstein, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Chevron, spoke
on dinim related to mental retardation with a
discussion led by HaRav Goldschmidt. Later a lecture was
given by Rabbi Dr. Halperin.
The evening schedule included a special session addressing
intermarriage, including current statistics and ways to
prevent it. Meanwhile a delegation of rabbonim held meetings
with ranking officials in the British government including
the prime minister.
Tuesday morning Prof. Avrohom Steinberg, a pediatric
neurosurgeon, gave a shiur on the use of fetus stem
cells for medical research, followed by Prof. Avrohom
Avraham, retired director of the Department of Internal
Medicine at Shaarei Tzedek Medical Center, and Dr. Mordechai
Halperin.
During a special evening session dedicated to the memory of
former Chief Rabbi Lord Immanuel Jakobovits, the late chief
rabbi of Britain and the CER's second president, HaRav
Yisroel Meir Lau gave a shiur on donating organs from
live donors. Following a question-and-answer session with all
of the rabbonim and lectures, a festive dinner led by Israeli
Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar was held. Guests included European
Commission officials and ambassadors from the European Union,
Israel, North African countries and other countries, who
conveyed their impressions on matters of concern regarding
Jewish issues and the Jewish population in their respective
countries.
