ROB, there is a massive difference between valid machloksin in halacha and clear violations of halacha. As Reb Moshe ZT”L writes, why should the wife be frummer than the husband who clearly violates the halacha? The Taz says a ger whose kavana we are not sure of who backslides has the chumras of a Jew and the chumras of goy. The Prisha says straight out he’s a goy. Others say he’s a min, who is on a lower level than a goy. And EVERYONE says we don’t lechatchila make half-geirim. I don’t know who these other rabbis were. Reb Moshe struggled to find a sevara why that should be a kabbalas ol mitzvos. The gedolei haposkim (ie, not the 2 professors from the University) clearly decided like Reb Moshe ZT”l. Rav Eliashiv Shlit”a, a talmid of Rav Kook ZT”L, agrees to this, along with the consensus of the frum community. I would sooner bet on them as to arriving at the correct halacha than the 2 professors from the university.
Advertisement:
The theme of kedushas yisrael was also addressed by some of the notable gedolei yisrael and leading rabbanim who participated in the conference. They included Rav Yonah Metzger, Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rav Ela Behr Wachtfogel (Rosh Yeshiva, South Fallsburg) who made a 36-hour trip to Israel to address the conference, Rav Dov Povarsky (Rosh Yeshiva, Ponovezh), Rav Saul Alter (Rosh Yeshiva, Sfas Emes), Rav Reuven Feinstein (Rosh Yeshiva, Staten Island), Rav Pinchas Friedman (Belz), Rav Moshe Schapiro, (Rosh Yeshiva and a leading expert on worldwide kiruv), Rav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi (Rosh Yeshiva, Ateret Yisrael), Rav Yitzchak Ezrachi (Rosh Yeshiva, Mir), Rav Yitzchok Scheiner (Rosh Yeshiva, Kaminetz), Rav Nosson Kopshitz (Dayan, Eda Hachareidis), Rav Moshe Smotny, Rav Shmuel Eliezer Stern (Bais Din of Rav Wozner), Rav Moshe Shteinman (son of Rav Aaron Leib Shteinman), Rav Shaul Kanievsky (son of Rav Chaim Kanievsky), Rav Dovid Yosef (son of Rav Ovadia Yosef), Stolner Rebbe, Rav Dovid Cohen (Rosh Yeshiva, Chevron), Rav Shmuel Deutsch (Rosh Yeshiva, Kol Torah), Rav Yehoshua Eichenstein (Rosh Yeshiva, Yad Aharon), Rav Nochum Eisenstein (Vaad Harabbonim Haolomi Leyonei Giyur), Rav Moshe Klein, and Rav Mordechai Altusky (Rosh Yeshiva, Torah Ohr),
A strong letter supporting EJF by Rav Aaron Leib Shteinman, which was also signed by Rav Yosef Sholem Eliyashiv, was read at the conference. It strongly supported the anti-assimilation theme of the conference and warned of the dangers of assimilation to the future of klal yisroel. Rav Zvi Elimelech Halberstam, the Sanzer Rebbe of Netanya, in his letter supported the new initiative to involve kiruv organizations in a direct war against intermarriage.