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Lynn Schusterman
July 26th, 2010 7:13 pm
by Lynn Schusterman
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The Perils of the Israeli Conversion Bill
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During the course of the past several months, a story has been unfolding in my beloved State of Israel that has me very concerned. It involves the conversion bill currently making its way through the Knesset—proposed legislation that has the potential to cause serious and irreparable damage to the unity of the Jewish people.

I believe deeply in a Jewish community that is a tapestry of people and identities representing the rich diversity of what it means to be Jewish, and I am committed to fostering welcoming, inclusive communities for all Jews who seek to lead actively Jewish lives.

This bill runs counter to these principles, and I am writing you today to offer my thoughts on why it is an issue in which all Jews, regardless of where they choose to make their homes and raise their families, have a stake.

BACKGROUND

Currently there are hundreds of thousands of people living in Israel who are not Jewish according to halacha (Jewish law). Many of them are immigrants from the former Soviet Union, and even though most of them are Israeli citizens who identify as Jews and serve in the Israel Defense Forces, they have no rights of personal status in Israel because they are not recognized as Jews by the Orthodox rabbinate. Accordingly, they cannot have a legally binding marriage, receive a legally sanctioned divorce or even be buried in a Jewish cemetery without first converting to Judaism in a manner controlled by that rabbinate.

In 2008, the Rabbinical Court of Appeals made the situation even worse when it issued a ruling calling into question the conversions of approximately 40,000 people granted under the authority of a previously unimpeachable rabbinical court. This decision not only deeply and adversely affected the lives of those involved; it had a profoundly “chilling effect” on the entire conversion process by raising the real possibility that every conversion conducted in Israel could be retroactively annulled. Ever since that ruling, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel has refused to perform conversions for fear that the ultra-Orthodox rabbis who dominate the rabbinical courts would continue to overrule them.

Early this spring, David Rotem, a member of Knesset, attempted to end this stalemate by proposing legislation that he hoped would: 1) resolve the issues relating to the potential retroactive annulment of conversions; and 2) ease the conversion process in the future. As currently written, however, this legislation actually extends the control of the ultra-Orthodox-dominated Chief Rabbinate of Israel over matters of conversion.

The bill was approved last week by a Knesset committee. Although a storm of protest by Diaspora Jewry and many within Israel has led to an agreement to delay consideration of this bill for six months, I believe it is vital that we understand the potential ramifications of this still-pending legislation.

THE CHALLENGES

As currently written, the proposed legislation will make the Chief Rabbinate the sole arbiter of the conversion process and, in turn, this grants absolute control to the ultra-Orthodox minority in Israel to determine who is a Jew.

While it is certainly reasonable to make Orthodox conversions easier for those who desire them, the proposed law would have a far greater, and more dangerous, impact on the unity of the Jewish people because it will mean that only those who convert to Judaism according to the halachic standards set by the Orthodox Chief Rabbinate will be able to acquire Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return. This could potentially prevent an immigrant or resident who had converted via non-Orthodox means from seeking citizenship and sanctuary in our Jewish Homeland.

Accordingly, and contrary to the original intent of the bill’s author, this legislation would actually make it more difficult for people in Israel who wish not to adhere to the requirements of Orthodoxy to convert to Judaism.

MY CONCERNS

Should the conversion law go into effect, I fear that it would do great damage to our worldwide Jewish community and threaten to open a deep rift between world Jewry and Israel. It would send a clear and alarming message that there is only one acceptable brand of Judaism. Most of North American Jews—85 percent—belong to, or identify with, the Conservative and Reform movements, which would be directly—and negatively—affected by this proposal.

At a time when Jews around the world are working diligently to defend Israel against efforts to delegitimize it, a bill that would be understood or perceived to delegitimize the religious streams that represent the majority of Diaspora Jews, as well as those who want to be included as members of our people, cannot be allowed to become law in the Jewish State.

Over the last 10 days, a coalition of groups led by The Jewish Federations of North America, the Jewish Agency for Israel, and the Conservative and Reform movements has been voicing alarm as well. Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came out forcefully against the bill, saying it would damage the unity of the Jewish people and urged its defeat. I applaud Prime Minister Netanyahu’s strong leadership on this issue, as well as the six-month moratorium, during which a task force headed by Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky will seek ways to draft and pass legislation to the mutual satisfaction of all sides involved.

This is ultimately what those advocating against the bill are seeking: a wider dialogue with all parties to reach a compromise. At the heart of their efforts remains the goal of ensuring Israel remains true to its goals and aspirations—to be a Jewish homeland for all of the Jewish people.

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  • Michael Amsellem

    Very Dear Lynn,

    I’m a ROI’09 and ROI 5 alumni. I didn’t come to tell you how I was moved to hear you during your introductory speech, which demonstrated a tinted optimism. The kind of optimism, I wasn’t used to hear from you, when I first heard you in 2009.

    From my French culture I have to admit that by discovering the Roi spirit in 2009, I was overjoyed by meeting optimistic and determinate Americans.

    And, at that time hearing you at ROI 5 introductory speech and now, reading you here, by these statement, it’s maybe my time to tell you my very optimism.

    Dear Lynn, don’t worry, I trust our people, and crisis are opportunities. For my part, I’m thrilled by this crisis, because I know it’s the opportunity for a real revolution in the making for the Jewish-Israel People.

    Because the secret question, of our Nation hasn’t been raised till now, it’s not the question of the conversion but the question that his behind it, the one of the Jewish/Israel Identity. It’s the question that will lead to our real independence, it could lead to a peak experience, (Havayat Si), a unique moment on modern and even longer Jewish Israel History.

    I have an infinite love for our people (Ahava Ha Ein Sofit) I trust our people, I’m lenient toward its crisis, it’s a part of the life, and we have to respect it as an inevitable crisis of adolescence. I deeply believe on the positive values of our people and do not enter into the worries, I know that the silent crowd of our nation, our living forces, certainly among us the new Roi generations will raise our voices and uses the new media’s power and networks, as we have learned through our conferences to deal with the vibrant institutions and people to raise the awareness on this issues and make not only a constructive law, but moreover a better people, more aware of itself, of its history, values and destiny.

    We will get back on track and turn this crisis into a wonderful opportunity to join our ranks, and at last formalize the unity of our Jewish Israel Nation.

    The question of the Jewish Israel Identity is necessary not only for the issue of conversion, but also for Israel-Diaspora, Diaspora-Diaspora, Religious-Secular, Assimilation, Conversion, Bnei Anussim, traditional and alternative streams, relations to other nations, considering in a coherent way humanistic, spiritual and national dimensions of our identity. It is exactly what we needed.

    At last, Lynn stay as you are, optimistic and determinate, generous and young, we need you, you inspire us, we love you, and we thank you.

    Michael Amsellem

  • Rob

    All Jews have free will to decide how they want to practice Judaism: Reform, Conservative, whatever. That is an issue separate from how Jewish a person must be to receive fast-track citizenship in Israel.

    But Jews practicing in and according to non-Orthodox movements are not Jewish because they practice in those particular movements, rather they are Jews because they are halakhically Jewish, either born to Jewish mothers, or converted according halakha.

    Any non-Jew (including somebody with a non-halakhic conversion) can practice Jewish holidays or other rituals but that does not make them Jews.

    Those who reject or water down halakha have no standing to decide who is Jewish. Judaism is not a democracy; membership in Judaism is a civil right requiring “equal opportunity”. Judaism is an obligation from G-d that can be fulfilled only by one who is obligated, i.e. a Jew by halakhic definition.

    The foundations of rabbinic Judaism are clearly G-d and Torah (including Written Law, Oral Law, Talmud, etc.). If you don’t accept those things, you have no right to force believing, Torah-observant Jews to accept non-Jews as Jews.

    Israel, as Jewish state, should be a refuge for all those who identify themselves as Jewish and cast their lot with the Jewish people.

    But those who think of themselves as Jewish need to respect that Judaism has laws that define who is actually Jewish. Being a Jew is a privilege for those who accept the obligations and responsibilities, not a public accommodation like a restaurant that must treat all customers equally.

    Non-Orthodox Jewish movements made their own halakhically problematic bed. Their members have free will to either lie in that bed or choose to respect halakha.

  • Michael Amsellem

    Dear Rob,

    Youre analysis is ok until one detail. There has been reform shift in Jewish History, and more than one.

    I think it is more than possible to say that we are entering in one of those. This is what make this moment historical.

    It will take then 5 to 10 years to confirm if that’s true…

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