Rabbonim and dayanim are protesting an alliance between
secular and religious Zionists to set up conversion courts
not associated with the Chief Rabbinate. These courts plan to
add to the Reform and Conservative conversions performed
through "secular conversion" and "national-religious
conversion." These procedures will not qualify the so-called
converts to marry through the Rabbinate, but according to a
High Court decision the Interior Ministry will be obligated
to list them as Jews in the population registry.
The main reason behind the new secular/national-religious
coalition is the requirement of the Rabbinate that converts
follow an observant lifestyle and educate their children to
do the same, a fundamental demand without which any
conversion is rendered invalid. The coalition was formed in
response to this requirement, which prevents enormous
assimilation and mass conversion among immigrants from the
former Soviet Union, and following a ruling by the
Rabbinate's Beis Din Godol that invalidated a conversion in
which Rabbi Chaim Druckman Overlooked the requirement to
accept Torah and mitzvas.
In response to announcements regarding the new "conversion"
program, this week MK Menachem Ben Sasson (Kadima), chairman
of the Knesset Constitution Committee, called for efforts to
break the Chief Rabbinate's monopoly on conversion and
marriage. Ben Sasson said he would promote an initiative to
introduce these so-called conversions at "pluralistic
conversion courts."
Rabbonim and dayanim issued harsh remarks against the
partnership between secular and national-religious
organizations, noting that dayanim have long been raising an
outcry against conversions by Rabbi Druckman and other
national-religious figures that have sunk to the level of
Reform "conversions." Now this sector has begun to actively
join forces with the Reform Movement in undermining the
Jewish religion. Though predictable this decline remains
deeply disturbing.
"The truth is this coalition has been operating in the
Knesset for years," said MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni. "It has no
authority or practical ability to act in conversion matters.
Worst of all is that this coalition includes religious
Zionists who we see in Knesset committees waging war against
halacha and things sacred to Judaism. This coalition is clear
evidence for those who still have doubts, of the battle waged
by gedolei hadoros against ostensibly religious
figures who favored compromise on every sacrosanct issue,
fighting against the chareidi sector and its rabbonim.
"MK Ben Sasson wears a yarmulke on his head, but does
not even merit a response. In all his actions throughout his
two-and-a-half years as chairman of the Constitution
Committee, he has surpassed the secular representatives in
his instigations and actions toward undermining conversion,
the status of the botei din and other issues. His
actions reached new heights on the last day the Knesset was
in session when he pushed through the Relative Funding Law,
which stands in contradiction to halacha."
MK Rabbi Uri Maklev (UTJ) said, "We saw this trend during the
past Knesset term: national-religious figures driven to alter
accepted halachic practices — which makes them worse
than the general population. This cannot be allowed to come
to fruition and I hope during the upcoming term we manage
besiyata deShmaya to prevent these dangerous remarks
from having an impact."
