In response to the government approving the new Giyur Bill, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel held an urgent meeting of the Chief Rabbinate Council. In the statement to the media, the Rabbanut added “Just like the government would not dare to tell a doctor regarding what medication to use for pneumonia, it cannot dictate to us”.
Officials in the Chief Rabbinate add they are now fearful that illegals from African nations living in Israel will request to convert to secure their status in the country. “The State of Israel is compelled to contend with a sizable number of illegals and they will do their utmost to remain here and take advantage of everything this country has to offer and we recommend taking this into consideration too”.
At the council meeting the rabbonim explained that prior to the cabinet vote, one was able to distance a candidate for conversion who was not genuine and they fear that now, this may not be so.
The rabbonim emphasize that while they have the utmost respect for the civil service municipal rabbonim who will be empowered to carry out giyur but the matter is not one of respect but of maintaining central control over giyur and the future of Am Yisrael.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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2 Responses
And if an illegal immigrant believes in HaShem and wants to take on the yoke of the mitzvot, what is the problem? Remember that many Jews were illegal immigrants during the period of British rule.
Am Yisrael has survived for thousands of years without centralized control of conversions.
charlie,
You talk like the issue facing Israel now is comparable to the issues involving giyur in preceding centuries. Just as one cannot compare the situations Jews faced in Galut to the State of Israel today, one cannot compare the individualized approach to each potential ger, that characterized the European/North African communities to the large groups of olim from certain countries that seek “conversion” today. An individual that isn’t sincere does not pose a threat to Am Yisarel, large groups do. In the hashgafa of Rav Kook and the Religious Zionists founders, israel is all about the community, Galut about the individual. That is why TODAY we have a centralized control, while in the PAST, individual rabbis could make individual decisions about individuals. This is a community problem and needs a centralized authority.