Our Rabbis Respond: Israeli conversion bill continues to cause controversy
By Judie Jacobson

WEST HARTFORD – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the North American Jewish Federation and the Reform and Conservative movements in the U.S. are among those voicing vehement opposition to a new bill scheduled for readings in the Knesset that centralizes conversion in the hands of the Orthodox Rabbinate. The bill must pass three readings in the Knesset before it becomes law. Opponents are trying to slow or stop the process.

Sponsored by David Rotem of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, which represents primarily the Russian community, the bill is an attempt to ease the conversion process in Israel for the sake of non-Jewish Israelis of Russian descent who must obtain conversions in order to marry in Israel. Opponents, however, have urged Rotem to revise the proposed bill, arguing that consolidating control over conversion in the office of the Chief Rabbinate carries the risk that non-Orthodox conversion performed in the Diaspora could be challenged or negated in Israel.
Rotem, however, continues to stand fast. “This law has nothing to do with American Jewry. It does not deal with conversion abroad at all,” he said.
But the Jewish Federations of North America implored Rotem to retract the bill, calling for “dialogue and compromise” on the issue.
Netanyahu was more blunt. If passed, he warned, the bill has the might to “tear the Jewish people apart.”
The Jewish Ledger asked Connecticut rabbis to weigh in with their opinion. Here is what several had to say.

Rabbi Shaul Marshall Praver, Congregation Adath Israel, Newtown (Conservative)

In the late 1980’s to early 1990’s roughly one million “Jewish” citizens from the former Soviet Union were permitted to emigrate. This extraordinary privilege, however, was made possible only by the tireless effort of Diaspora Jews, mostly from the United States. The campaign to free Soviet Jewry spanned decades. Those of us who participated can still hear the roar of our legions literally shaking the halls of Washington with our battle cry, “Let my people go!”
The majority of these former Soviet “Jews” – many of them interfaith households – immigrated to Israel. Predictably, Israel’s Rabbinate demanded that these interfaith families undergo conversion. However, the Rabbinate was not prepared ideologically or logistically to handle hundreds of thousands of conversions. Israel’s Ministry of the Interior, which ultimately wields power in matters of immigration, overruled the demands of Israel’s Rabbinate and essentially gave these interfaith families a pass. Yet everybody knew at the time that eventually we would have to revisit the issue and create an infrastructure that would be sufficient ideologically and logistically to meet the demands of Israel’s immigrants.
Fast forward to July 2010. Now the offspring of these interfaith families are seeking to marry, and Israel’s Rabbinate predictably is demanding conversion once again. The only difference this time though is that unlike the matter of immigration policy, Israel’s Rabbinate does wield authority over the institution of conversion and marriage.
Enter David Rotem, chairman of the Conversion Law Committee, a member of Israel’s largest secular Russian party, Israel Beitenu. Rotem is at the center of the discussions regarding the conversion bill in question, of which there have been many versions and negotiations are ongoing. The central idea, however, is to empower community Orthodox rabbis to conduct conversions throughout Israel with the office of Israel’s Chief Rabbinate supervising. Ironically, the Russians by and large are in favor of this conversion bill because they believe it will end the conversion bottleneck and enable them to get married. That’s why we are seeing this bill at this time, and that’s why it is being brought by Israel’s “Russian party.”
However, concerning matters of religion and state, non-Orthodox streams of Judaism would like Israel to be more like America. And perhaps more to the point, non-Orthodox clergy would like to be accorded the same power to conduct life cycle events in Israel as are enjoyed by Orthodox clergy. The only problem is that Israel is not yet like America, and it is unlikely that non-Orthodox clergy will be recognized any time soon as a rabbinical body charged with performing conversions and marriages on behalf of Israel.
With this in mind, what is the best course going forward for non-Orthodox groups? Non-Orthodox groups must insist that the conversion bill deal exclusively with the problem it initially set forth to remedy and nothing more. This means that the Israeli status quo that legitimizes non-Orthodox conversions performed in the Diaspora be upheld so that all Jews can be accorded equal rights as potential citizens of Israel. Anything less would truly damage the strategic and heartfelt connection world Jewry has for its homeland and people. Additionally, while Diaspora Jewry is not represented in Israel’s Knesset, any Knesset bill that endeavors to reject marriages and conversions performed in the Diaspora, would no longer be an Israeli insular matter. This would be the time that voices from “Babylonia” should be considered in Jerusalem.
Let us all remember that it has been the voice of American Jewry that has shaken the halls of Washington, not the voice of Israel. And just as it took several decades to free Russian Jewry, it may take several decades to bring religious freedom to Israel. It’s time to start fighting for this cause.

Rabbi Yitzchok Adler, Beth David Synagogue, West Hartford (Orthodox)

It is premature to pass judgment on any proposed legislation without first reading the bill. Still, based on the information available at the moment, I must express reticence and reservation regarding Rotem’s bill. The bases for my concern are two. First, I cannot support or condone any action that intentionally disenfranchises any legitimate major networks of spirituality within the Jewish community, specifically my Conservative and Reform brethren. Second, the Israeli Rabbinate has already demonstrated its lack of respect for or affinity with the diaspora Orthodox rabbinate; the passage of this bill could make matters even worse for all diaspora rabbinates. It would appear that the debate is not about halachah and Jewish tradition as much as it seems to be about who is the gate keeper; and the Israeli Rabbinate has demonstrated a lack of appreciation for the sensitivity and delicacy of such a responsibility. In Israel, as is already well known and established, there is no constitutional separation of powers between religion and state. While I take deep pride in Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, I take umbrage with any religion-based institution that flexes its muscle in any fashion that even hints at an attitude that causes pain or disenfranchisement to people who otherwise seek the support and embrace of that same institution.
If the motives of these self-appointed gatekeepers are altruistic, instead of legislation and factionalism, let them engage the greatest rabbinic leaders and thinkers of our generation in a dialogue committed to finding a fair and just resolution to one of the aches that has haunted our people from even before the establishment of our beloved State of Israel.
To borrow from an old fundraising campaign, “now more than ever” Jews need to stick together. We need to be accentuating that which binds and bonds us. The tenor of world political rhetoric is sending a loud and clear message to Jews and Israelis everywhere. We, Bnai Yisroel, need to stick together. Now is not the time for internal debates that foment unrest. Now is time for reunion, compassion and mutual respect.

Rabbi Herbert Brockman, Congregation Mishkan Israel, Hamden (Reform)

The Israeli Knesset is considering legislation that could fundamentally change the Law of Conversion, concentrating power with Israel’s Chief Rabbinate. The bill would give the Chief Rabbinate exclusive oversight over all conversion matters, putting at risk non-Orthodox conversions that had been performed abroad.
While MK Rotem, sponsor of this bill, argues that it will effect only those who live in Israel, nevertheless it sends a deep seated message of alienation to non-Orthodox Jews in the Diaspora. This is something world Jewry can ill-afford. Creating a rift between Israel and Jews everywhere is a dangerous act that may further erode support for the Jewish State and goes against the deeply held belief in K’lal Yisrael, that we are indeed one people! It will also have the effect of dampening the enthusiasm and love so many Jews by Choice have made in their personal lives and their efforts on behalf of Jews everywhere.
Let Prime Minister Netanyahu know that we Jews in America care about Israel and feel strongly that the passage of such a bill can have serious consequences. The Talmud tells us that, ultimately, the Second Temple was destroyed not because of Roman power, but by sinat chinam, internal strife. This must be avoided at all cost.

Rabbi Yossi Pollak, Beit Chaverim Synagogue of Westport/Norwalk (Orthodox)

Is it possible that many Diaspora Jewish organizations reacted to the Rotem bill without a clear sense of its context?
This bill, in a vacuum, has nothing to do with Reform and Conservative Diaspora conversions. It was a bill designed to make conversion and integration easier for some immigrants. Instead of being forced to use special conversion courts, this bill would allow Israelis to go to local rabbinical courts, many of which have more lenient conversion policies. It would have ended the travesty of local courts invalidating conversions, except in cases of clear fraud.
Of course, this bill is not in a vacuum-the reason for giving this control to the Chief Rabbinate and its local arms is very much related to the power that the ultra-Orthodox parties have in the current government. This was a compromise they could agree to, because it solidified their power in the conversion process.
I am certain that if this bill is defeated or withdrawn, there will be soon be another bill that is even worse. Yisrael Beitenu, a party that represents the immigrants, will not rest while their constituents are unable to marry other Jews in Israel. The Haredi parties in the Knesset will not agree to a bill that does not meet their religious concerns. Another bill will be proposed, and eventually, Prime Minister Netanyahu will be forced to allow a bill to pass or risk losing his coalition partners. As someone who wants to stay in power, Netanyahu is not likely to stand up to these partners.
My question to the organizations who have been protesting this bill (while I essentially agree with their opposition) is this: Why is the response only about our own interests? Why isn’t the response “Here is how we would solve the immigrant issue, and here is how we would address the concerns of the Orthodox and the rest of Israeli society with allowing our conversions in Israel.” Why isn’t the response, “What kind of Jewish society has been created in Israel, and what kind of society do we want it to be? What kind of society would reflect Jewish values as well as Jewish law?” The answer to these questions are essential to the future of Israel.

Rabbi Jon-Jay Tilsen, Congregation Beth El-Keser Israel (BEKI), New Haven (Conservative)

The “Conversion Bill” is the latest attempt to consolidate the power of a government-controlled rabbinate. This resonates horrifically for Americans whose European heritage includes the flight from oppressive and corrupt state religion to the freedom in the New World. Unfortunately, out of political expediency, Israel is going further down this path. Already over $900 million a year is given to government religious functionaries and their sycophants with no accountability, simply to buy their coalition votes. The level of corruption and oppression represents an existential danger to the Jewish commonwealth.
Conservative and Reform Jews and immigrants are among the first to suffer at the hands of the government rabbinate, but increasingly they are “cutting off” other segments of the Jewish world. Mark my word: Modern Orthodox, Sefardi, Habad and other communities will be victims of the state-controlled rabbinate. Some of them are desperately trying to show the government rabbinate that they are really their loyal allies, but in the end they will be victims, too.
These are not merely sentimental religious issues. They affect the ability of Israelis to attend the schools of their choice, obtain citizenship, get married, divorced and buried, to hold office, operate businesses, and to be equal citizens whose heritage is respected by government agencies. This power-grab also attempts to limit the religious freedom of Israelis so that their only choice is one version of Orthodoxy that most have already soundly rejected, and in that way alienates Israelis from their own heritage and from the Jewish people.
The government rabbinate (created by the Turks), military exemption based on religious affiliation, and funding for government crony yeshivot should all be terminated. Let the people work and pay for their own religious agencies if they want them instead of forcing the broad population to support reactionary religious institutions that follow the Iranian fundamentalist model play-by-play. Otherwise Israel is headed the way of Iran and Lebanon, or at best Saudi Arabia.

Rabbi Robert Orkand, Temple Israel, Westport (Reform)

Several weeks ago, leaders of Diaspora Jewry were shocked to learn that a Knesset committee approved a bill by David Rotem, a member of the nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party, that would give the Israeli Orthodox Chief Rabbinate control of all conversions in Israel. If passed, this legislation will place authority over all Jewish births, marriages, deaths, and conversion–and, through them, the fundamental questions of Jewish identity–in the hands of a small group of ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, rabbis.
As President of ARZA (Association of Reform Zionists of America), I had joined a group of leaders from the Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist movements, as well as the leadership of the Jewish Federations of North America, in meetings with MK Rotem. We expressed to him our dismay at the bill he was proposing, and he promised that no final version of his bill would be brought to the Knesset without consultation with the Diaspora Jewish community. Prime Minister Netanyahu has promised the same thing. So much for promises. Clearly narrow coalition politics trumps Jewish unity.
Let us be clear: This bill is a disaster for both Israel and for 85% of world Jewry who are not Orthodox. The question of “Who is a Jew?”, which has arisen before and has never really been answered, may finally be resolved by the parliament of the civil government of Israel. If this legislation is passed, a civil law of Israel will declare that almost no one is a Jew.
Let us also be clear about the fact that contrary to what MK Rotem has said publicly–that this bill seeks to solve the problem of Russian Jews who, when they seek permission to wed in Israel are often asked for evidence that their families are registered as Jews in the old Soviet Union–the real reason for the bill is the desire of a small group of rabbis to expand their authority from narrow questions of conversion to larger questions of Jewish identity. Since what goes for conversion also goes for all other clerical acts, only a few anointed rabbis will be able to determine the authenticity of one’s marriage, divorce, birth, death–and every rite in between.
At a time when the strong link between Israel and the Diaspora is more critical than ever, why in the world would the Israeli Knesset want to create a split between the two communities? Why, indeed.

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