The High Court of Justice ruled Monday that people who convert to Judaism in Israel through the Reform and Conservative movements must be recognized as Jews for the purpose of the Law of Return, and are thus entitled to Israeli citizenship.
The bombshell decision, which shatters the longstanding Orthodox monopoly on officially recognized conversions in Israel, was the culmination of an appeal process that began more than 15 years ago, involving 12 people in the country who converted to Judaism through non-Orthodox denominations. The justices noted that they had withheld issuing a ruling to allow the state to handle the matter, but the state had failed to do so.
The decision was denounced by right-wing religious politicians and the chief rabbis of Israel.
“What the Reform and Conservatives call ‘conversion’ is nothing but a forgery of Judaism,” Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef said in a statement, calling on lawmakers to work for a “quick” legislative fix.
Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi David Lau claimed those who undergo Reform or Conservative conversions “are not Jews.”
“No High Court decision will change this fact,” he was quoted as saying by the Kan public broadcaster.
Rabbi Lau added: “The court is approving the flooding of the State of Israel with immigrants who have nothing to do with Judaism. How is the State of Israel the Jewish state if every gentile can become a citizen?”
Read more at Times of Israel.
{Matzav.com}
The real cause? Just letting David do what Big Top says.
Turn it grievous? Now Jewish kids are further confused by those who are not halachaic Jewish. Marriage contracts are buffed.
I here do say the Israelite generates dry a new war. Open yireh how Hashem can let the maxim elements dictate state polatity.
Up up and away. I feel beamed by the war.
“Rabbi Lau added: “The court is approving the flooding of the State of Israel with immigrants who have nothing to do with Judaism. How is the State of Israel the Jewish state if every gentile can become a citizen?””
The problem here is that this is all a bunch of baloney.
The State of Israel is a Zionist, not Jewish, State.
More importantly, the Zionists have no business even addressing the question of “who is a Jew” because that is a Jewish, not Zionist, matter.
The Zionists can, of course, determine that they would allow Reform “converts” into their country. But that is a Zionist, not Jewish, decision.
Why is the criminal court meddling in religious affairs? IT’S NONE OF THEIR DIRTY BUSINESS.
Despite the overwhelming support among Israeli Jews, Orthodox and secular alike – Traditionalist Israeli politicians have been apprehensive for many years, to pass a law that states explicitly that only Halachic conversion is valid, fearing the backlash from the Reform and Conservative Jews in the US. This has caused the current problem with the high court.
We can make a difference! The American Orthodox Jewish community has to stand up and let their voice be heard. That we want Israel to be a true Jewish country, free of so called “religious” movements that promote intermarriage and cancellation of authentic Judaism altogether!
The leadership in Israel has to hear that the future American Jew is fully committed to Torah and Mitzvot.
Speak Up!
I know someone who converted through the official Rabbanut conversion system. It took the part of the Rabbanut that decides whether or not conversions are kosher 18 months to decide that the conversion that the Rabbanut had done is kosher.
The Rabbanut does not follow halachah on conversions any more than the Reform or Conservative movements do. They don’t accept charedi conversions done in Israel that are halachically perfect. And in investigating conversions they use a non-transparent process rather than convening a beit din. This is about maintaining a monopoly, not halachah.
I don’t know your friend and what exactly went on, but it makes sense that they wanted to see if he was indeed committed to follow the Torah, which when absent the whole conversion is rendered invalid.
They don’t accept conversions of other unofficial Beit Din’s in order to prevent phony conversions. Many European Rabbis have also adopted this rule, that only the official chief rabbinate of their country can perform conversions, for the same reason.
Guard your mouth when speaking against some of the greatest Torah scholars of our generation, who sit on the seats of Rav Ovadia Yosef and Rav Elyashiv Zatza”l – who established those rules.
The Secular Courts in the State of Israel must cease meddling in “Halachahik” matters; especially, when the issue at hand is “Gerus”! Conversions must only be handled by Orthodox ‘Dayonim’ & ‘Rabbonim’; ‘Talmedei Chachamim”. This is the only way, the ONLY one, that a Pure Jewish genetic pool & lineage can be assured!
Thank god I don’t live in secular Israel.