The Knesset Law Committee on Tuesday, 6 Shevat 5774 discussed the bill presented by MK (The Movement) Elazar Stern seeking to liberalize giyur in Israel. The bill calls for establishing giyur centers around the country and placing the responsibility for giyur back in the hands of local rabbonim and not exclusively in the hands of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel on the national level.

As Stern puts it, “The bill is out of concern for the social and demographic conditions in Israel, the phenomenon of those who are not permitted to marry and the intermarriage. These people live among us and serve in the IDF, sacrificing their lives for the Jewish People”.

“To my sorrow, a portion of the religious establishment does not understand or does not wish to understand the scope of the existential threat facing the State of Israel” Stern added. Stern added that he has reached a consensus with the Ministry of Religious Services which enjoys the approval of the Chief Rabbis of Israel. He feels the climbing intermarriage is our own fault, due to the failures of not addressing the matter as it should have been addressed.

The legal counsel for the Rabbinical Courts attorney Shimon Yaakobi fears the bill will lead to polarization. He feels that a rabbinical committee must be formed to address the language of the bill.

Committee Chairman MK (Yisrael Beitenu) Dudu Rotem added “I don’t see rabbonim serving as a professional committee in this matter. Therefore such a committee will not be established. I want to take away the authority for dealing with giyur from the Chief Rabbinate”.

MK (Bayit Yehudi) Shuli Moalem-Refaeli added she does not believe it wise to legislate a law dealing with giyur without first hearing the opinion of dayanim.

MK (Bayit Yehudi) Orit Struk added “I object to the treatment of rabbonim and dayanim. We cannot legislate a law on giyur without consulting those dedicating day and night to the matter. For as long as the Chief Rabbinate does not recognize the conversion of one who converted the certificate will be worthless. It is our duty to make sure that the giyorim will receive the effective product and not what the members of Knesset feel.”

Attorney Susie Weiss of the Merkaz Tzedek feels “Giyur is a religious issue for all. We must give free expression of Halacha, permitting one to choose as one wishes. We must cut off religion from state and permit all streams in Judaism to interpret Halacha in line with their own hashkafa.”

Rabbi Yisrael Rosen of Zomet Institute expressed support for the privatization of giyur. However, state giyus must be within the consensus, citing that there are those who are critical of the IDF giyur program and fears opening too wide an opening will result in the candidates not coming forward. He added a phenomenon exists today in which giyorim upgrade their conversions since they realize today their conversion is not widely recognized.

MK (Yahadut Hatorah) Rabbi Uri Maklev added the bill does not compel a giyur candidate to accept upon himself Torah and Mitzvos and that is why the prime minister does not object to the bill. “With all due respect, rabbonim may be certified for kashrus but not conversion. According to the bill, a dayan can be certified for giyur if he spent six years in a Torah institute. This means that perhaps a woman who studied in a chiloni yeshiva can be a member of a conversion beis din” Maklev stated. He warns the bill will create first and second class Jews.

MK (Yesh Atid) Dr. Aliza Lavie added “Because of people like you, 4,000 problematic children are born annually. We are lagging by 20 years. I request exhibiting feelings of optimism and forgiveness and not to inspect everyone’s tzitzis”.

The committee will convene again in two weeks to continue discussion on the bill.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)