The public is showing widespread support in Eretz Yisroel and
abroad following last week's notice from gedolei
Yisroel, including Maran HaRav Eliashiv shlita, in
support of the ruling by the Beis Din Hagodol that conversion
without fully accepting mitzvas is invalid.
The Vaad HaRabbonim Haolami LeInyonei Giyur, founded by the
late HaRav Chaim Kreiswirth, av beis din of Antwerp,
has received numerous inquiries from individuals in Eretz
Yisroel and abroad, seeking clarification regarding converts
processed by the Conversion Authority in Israel. The public
discussion highlighted the often repeated ruling by leading
halachic authorities that those who "convert" without
genuinely accepting mitzvas remain non-Jews.
The call by gedolei Yisroel in support of the ruling
was also welcomed by Orthodox organizations in Europe. The
Conference of European Rabbis (CER) reports that the recent
message from gedolei Yisroel will buttress the
conversion system in Europe as well and will help the special
conversion beis din set up there by gedolei
Yisroel in its efforts to halt fictitious conversions.
Rav Leib Tropper of Monsey, New York, director of Eternal
Jewish Family and an active advocate of universally
recognized conversion, told Yated Ne'eman, "If in the
US there were breaches in the walls of conversion, chas
vesholom, it would place a stumbling block in the way of
all those who seek to halt the glut of false conversions
around the world." He said that if a kulo emerged in
Eretz Yisroel it would sabotage efforts to remedy the
conversion situation in the Diaspora.
City rabbonim, marriage registrars and mesadrei
kiddushin around the country have begun examining more
carefully people who present them with a conversion
certificate, whether issued in Israel or abroad, to ascertain
whether they genuinely accepted geirus with all it
entails at the time of the conversion. Otherwise the
conversion is invalid, even bedi'eved.
Recently dayanim ruled that conversions performed by
Rabbi Chaim Druckman should be considered invalid. The ruling
cast a shadow on the validity of all conversions performed in
Israel by the special Conversion Authority.
According to reports in the mainstream media, Rabbi Druckman
was subsequently given notice of early retirement. Vaad
HaRabbonim says that various government officials now plan to
appoint "enlightened rabbis" to head the Conversion Authority
to meet the demands by the Absorption Ministry and other
government officials to perform large-scale conversion for
hundreds of thousands of non-Jews who immigrated to
Israel.
The Vaad is calling on the heads of the Chief Rabbinate not
to submit to public pressure and rather to ensure that
conversion requests are handled solely by reputable, fixed
conversion courts that adhere to halacha and examine every
case with due seriousness.
The Vaad HaRabbonim also notes that the Chief Rabbinate is
authorized to block the appointment of the Conversion
Authority chairman, which is supposed to be a rabbinical and
spiritual post. The Chief Rabbinate should publicly declare
that large-scale conversion is impossible and government
officials must seek alternative solutions to the demographic
issues.
