European Rabbis Declare Open Orthodoxy ‘Outside The Fold’

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avi-weissThe Conference of European Rabbis (CER) issued an unusually harsh statement this week condemning the United States-based liberal Open Orthodoxy movement, and warning that Orthodox communities in Europe would not employ rabbis ordained by the group until it returned to normative Orthodox practices.

The proclamation comes several years after the American Yated Ne’eman newspaper exposed the Open Orthodox movement and its transgressions and fallacies, and a week after a similar proclamation was issued by the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah of Agudas Yisroel of America.

Arutz Sheva reports that in the declaration by the Conference of European Rabbis, the CER – which represents some 700 European Orthodox rabbis – emphasized that it embraces only those rabbis who “were ordained in accordance with halahhah, and who lead their communities according to the generational traditions as handed over at Mount Sinai, and passed on by the poskei hador,” and who hold fast to fundamental, traditional Jewish values.

CER would not accept “any initiative that is not in the spirit of the halakhah” or ancient Jewish tradition, it added – referring to the Open Orthodoxy movement.

“The Conference views with great pain the deviations from religious foundations emanating from the movement called ‘Open Orthodoxy’, and warns that those who act in this spirit, alumni of the aforementioned movement… will not be recognized by us as rabbis, with all that entails.”

Rabbi Jonathan Guttentag of Manchester, UK, explained that by systematically testing the boundaries of normative Jewish practice, Open Orthodoxy “has pushed the envelope that bit far, and… led to positions which take its proponents outside the Orthodox umbrella.”

While acknowledging that the group did tend to keep just within the confines of Jewish law, he and other rabbis emphasized that for Orthodox Jews the “spirit of the law” was almost as important.

“At the end of the day, Orthodox life… is dependent on certain parameters, and crossing over the line of those parameters puts its adherents and proponents outside the frame of Orthodoxy.

{Matzav.com Newscenter}


3 COMMENTS

  1. Orthodox….ortho means straight or right….dox means opinion.

    Orthodox is Greek…not Hebrew

    I am not an orthodox Yid…I am an Observant Yid

    Leave orthodox, reform, reconstructionist to our wayward family looked upon no differently than xhristians or muslims or hindus…all children of Avraham Aveinu….but not decendants of Yaakov Aveinu.

    Greek words do not define my Yiddishkite. Good riddance orthodox and welcome back to who we really are…Observant Yidden

    As they say there are only two types of Yidden on earth today ,,,those who are Observant and those who will be.

    Gutn Erev Shabbos

  2. “While acknowledging that the group did tend to keep just within the confines of Jewish law, he and other rabbis emphasized that for Orthodox Jews the “spirit of the law” was almost as important.”

    They are within the confines of Jewish law? The CER has just accepted torah being not from Sinai, a marat with authority to issue a psak, so many heretical statements, illicit acceptance of Geirus, and as much issur as you can shake a yated at. Accepting ANYTHING of theirs gives them legitimacy and the CER just did so.
    Can’t anyone besides the Agudah make a strong statement?

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