KBY Important Issue

Issue: Court recognizes non-Orthodox overseas conversion of Israeli residents

"The High Court ruling on Thursday, recognizing the conversions of those who study for conversion in Israel and undergo the process in overseas Jewish communities affiliated with any stream of Judaism, is another version of the old dispute over who is a Jew.

[The] "...High Court rulings that gave overseas rabbis, including Reform and Conservative rabbis, the right to determine who is a Jew.  But, meanwhile, the High Court has not given the same right to rabbis from the same streams of Judaism who perform conversions in Israel."
(taken from an article by By Shahar Ilan, Ha'aretz, Sun., April 03, 2005)

Court recognizes non-Orthodox overseas conversion of Israeli residents
By Yuval Yoaz, Ha'aretz, Fri., April 01, 2005

Israel Court OKs Non - Orthodox Conversions
Associated Press, March 31, 2005

Haredim may try to bypass conversion ruling
By Dan Izenberg, Jerusalem Post, Mar. 31, 2005

US non-Orthodox hail 'incredible win'
By Sam Ser, Jersualem Post, Mar. 31, 2005

Israeli Court Backs Recognition of Some Non-Orthodox Conversions
By Greg Myre, New York Times, March 31, 2005

Court recognizes non-Orthodox overseas conversion of Israeli residents
[ Read to sense the open hostility toward Reform and Conservative Judaism in Israel]

Israel's chief rabbis, ... declared: "There is no value or weight to `conversions' not performed by an Orthodox rabbinical court ... Any such conversion, under its various names such as `Reform' or `Conservative,' has no validity, and anyone who undergoes such conversion is still a gentile in every respect."

Shas Chairman Eli Yishai called the ruling an "explosives belt that has formed an identity terror attack against the Jewish people," ... "This is the most painful day in the history of Israel. This is disaster, this is destruction, and it will lead to a rift in the nation," he said. "Their ruling says there will be no more Jewish people."

Israel Court OKs Non - Orthodox Conversions

It ``is one of the major steps toward pluralism'' in a country struggling to be Jewish and democratic...

The Reform and Conservative movements, the largest streams of Judaism in the United States, have been largely sidelined in Israel by the Orthodox religious establishment. The Orthodox chief rabbinate wields a monopoly over religious rites such as marriages, divorces and burials, and Orthodox schools and seminaries receive the vast majority of the government religious budget each year.

...the final campaign is not yet over. We will continue this struggle until our rabbis are fully recognized in Israel,'' said Rabbi Ehud Bandel, president of the Conservative movement in Israel.

Haredim may try to bypass conversion ruling

The haredi [ultra-orthodox] parties are considering ways to nullify the court decision.

Agudat Yisrael or Degel Hatorah MKs may submit legislation to supercede the ruling, since they are members of the coalition and could get backing for the measure.

"The State of Israel recognizes on an equal basis conversions conducted abroad by all streams recognized by Judaism, on condition that the conversion be conducted in a recognized Jewish community, by the religious body authorized to do so, and in accordance with accepted procedures and rules meant to guarantee the sincerity of the conversion," wrote the state's representative, attorney Yochi Gnessin. "This principle is, naturally, limited to converts who are members of the community, who join it and integrate themselves into it. The conversion process is therefore a communal act of a non-Jew who joins the Jewish community where he lives and merges into it."  [The} Supreme Court ... rejected the state's argument.

Barak wrote that it was enough that the recognized Jewish community that converted the non-Jewish resident of Israel attested to the fact that it applied the same standards and procedures to him as it did to all other converts.

MK Etti Livni (Shinui) called the decision a "historic breakthrough" and said it would put an end to the practice of treating Reform Judaism as a "stepson of the Jewish people."

MK Uri Ariel (National Union) said "The judges proved that they don't understand the first thing about the Jewish religion and gave the stamp of approval to strange cults,"
 

US non-Orthodox hail 'incredible win'

"this struggle over conversion rights is just beginning."  Indeed, marriage and burial are the "inevitable" next fronts in the battle...

"The numbers of our people who want to be married by a conservative rabbi are tremendous," Myers said. "My own daughter and son-in-law, who live in Israel, couldn't have me or another Conservative rabbi officiate at their wedding. But it's not the ritual that's the issue. It's more of who is being recognized as a religious authority."

Unsurprisingly, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America – "We support the Israeli Chief Rabbinate in condemning this decision of Israel's Supreme Court, which ignores the historical realities of the State of Israel," OU president Stephen Savitsky

Israeli Court Backs Recognition of Some Non-Orthodox Conversions

Since the Orthodox establishment controls such services as marriage, divorce and burial, this creates many complications for the "undefined" Israelis.

In one widespread practice, Israelis who are not eligible, or who do not want an Orthodox wedding, fly to the nearby island of Cyprus to be married in civil ceremonies. Israel recognizes such marriages held abroad, but does not permit them here.
 

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