When a former new immigrant wishes to get married in Israel, s/he must present documentation proving his/her Jewishness, which is usually accomplished by bringing a letter from a prominent rav in the United States. It is known that there are rabbonim whose letters are not accepted.
An employee of the Chief Rabbinate released this list, apparently without approval of his superiors and the list of 160 rabbonim is resulting in a storm. The rabbonim appearing on the list hail from 24 countries including the US and Canada, and they identify with Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Jewry.
Some of the more well-known names appearing on the list are Rabbi Avi Weiss of Riverdale, NY, Rabbi Yehoshua Fass of Nefesh B’Nefesh, Rabbi Joshua Blass (a student advisor at REITS), Rabbi Joseph Potasnik (Executive Director of the NY Board of Rabbis), Rabbi Adam Scheier (a former president of the Montreal Board of Rabbis), Rabbi Eliezer Hirsch (Rav of Mekor HaBracha Shul in Philadelphia. He is a musmach of Ner Yisroel in Baltimore), Rabbi Baruch Goodman (Rutgers University Chabad House) and Daniel Kraus (director of education at Kehilath Jeshurun, a modern Orthodox shul on Manhattan’s Upper East Side).
JTA reports that of the 65 US rabbonim on the list, at least one-fifth are affiliated with Orthodox Judaism. Most of the others are affiliated with Reform and Conservative communities.
One of the more recent cases that made the media was the conversion of Ivanka Trump by Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, which was not recognized by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. While he is unquestionably modern, Rabbi Lookstein has been a respected member of the NYC Orthodox Rabbinate for decades and the rejection led to a political storm.
However, dayanim including Rabbi Avraham Sherman did not hesitate to call him and Rabbi Avi Weiss “kofrim” when giving a radio interview on the matter. Rabbi Lookstein also distanced himself from reports that a rabbi gave her permission to be mechalel Shabbos by flying, stating clearly it was not him.
Speaking to JTA last week, Rabbi Weiss said, “The way they’re conducting themselves is so painful, so unfortunate.
Critics feel that list is tainted by political considerations as more than a few frum rabbonim appear on it.
Below is an alphabetical list of rabbis from the US. Several of the rabbis have died, but may have written letters attesting to congregants’ Jewish identity while still alive.
Alberto Zeilicovich, Conservative
Alexander Davis, Conservative
Alfredo Winter , Conservative
Amos Miller, Conservative
Arthur Rulnick, Conservative
Arthur Weiner , Conservative
Arthur Zuckerman, Conservative
Avi Weiss, Orthodox
Barry Dolinger , Orthodox
Baruch Goodman, Orthodox
Bernard Gerson, Conservative
Dan Ornstein, Conservative
Daniel Kraus, Orthodox
David Rosen, Orthodox
David Wortman, Reform
David Zaslow, Renewal
Eli Kogan, Orthodox
Eliezer Hirsch, Orthodox
George Nudell, Conservative
Gerald Serotta, Reform
Gil Steinlauf, Conservative
Harold Berman, Conservative
Irwin Groner, Conservative
Isaac lehrer, Conservative
Jacob Max , Orthodox
Jason Herman, Orthodox
Jay Rosenbaum, Reform
Joseph Potasnik, Orthodox
Joseph Radinsky, Orthodox
Josh Blass, Orthodox
Joshua Skoff, Conservative
Ken Carr, Reform
Kenneth Roseman, Reform
Leonard Gordon, Conservative
Leonid Feldman, Conservative
Marcelo Bronstein, Conservative
Mario Karpuj, Conservative
Melvin Sirner, Conservative
Michael Pont, Conservative
Michael Siegel, Conservative
Morris Allen, Conservative
Paul Plotkin, Conservative
Paul Schneider, Conservative
Paul Yedwab, Reform
Peter Grumbacher, Reform
Pinchas Chatzinoff, Orthodox
Sam Fraint, Conservative
Seth Adelson, Conservative
Seymour Siegel, Conservative
Shay Mintz, Orthodox
Shimon Paskow, Conservative
Shimon Russel, Orthodox
Stephen Denker, Reform
Stephen Goodman, Reform
Stephen Mason, Reform
Stephen Steindel, Conservative
Steve Schwartz, Conservative
Yaakov Kalmanofsky, Conservative
Yaier Lehrer, Conservative
Yehoshua Fass, Orthodox
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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12 Responses
The list is a list of Rabbonim whose letters were turned down this past year…. Not necessarily because of the Rov, it could’ve been because it was dated incorrectly or they didn’t sign the way they did in past letters… It doesn’t have to do with the character of the Rov… the media hasn’t been reporting that fact part of this whole thing….
For example, I know Rabbis Blass and Chatzinoff; they are both respectable rabbonim and far from “Open Orthodox.”
Obviously those on the list will complain but the very fact that there are many “Orthodox” gentlemen on the list indicates that it is list of individuals not a list of groups. Maybe those shouting and screaming should be dan l’kaf zechus, and imagine that the Chief Rabbis are acting to preserve the unity of Am Yisroel through halocha.
As I have stated before, I believe you are in error
The conversion of Ivanka was never discussed by the Rabbanut
R Lookstein was discussed and isn’t recognized. However, despite the fact that R Lookstein sponsored Ivanka’s conversion, he did not convert her. She was converted by a BDA GPS affiliated bais din, and thus her conversion would (presumably) be recognized by the Rabbanut, since the BDA GPS system was set up to satisfy the Rabbanut geyrus requirements.
The fool who compiled this listing has thrown gasoline on a fire already raging in EY and his actions risk making the rabanut totally irrelevant to geirus . Even many ordinarily sympathetic to the religious party positions have responded with disgust to this “blacklist” and the Rabanut itself seems to be backing away as quickly as they can. If they proceed, and the government accepts this action, it will bring down the government within weeks and result in a new set of coalitions which will exclude the religious parties.
The article is in error. The chief rabbinate did not “not recognize” Trump’s conversion, and the article linked to does not say that. There were other conversions by Rabbi Lookstein that were questioned, but Trump’s was done under the auspices of the GPS of the RCA and hence was accepted.
“gave her permission to be mechalel Shabbos by flying”
Is it chillul shabbos to be sitting in an airplane?
avi weiss dont crocodile tears ‘painful’ ? you and your movement are out right heretics as per you removel from kehal hashem as The holy rabbonim of agudah did . just like the chasam soifer and the manhigay hador did to the metapshim (maskilim in your language) 250 years ago
all these ‘clergy’ are koifrey betoras hasem kofrim in diety (as almost all reform etc are) so theyre as good as hindu , christian pries, moslem imams. haw can they have a say in any thing judaism which 4 parts of jewish code of law?
I wonder how easy it is to get on the list. Obviously all Conservative/Reform belong, and if you Google some of the Orthodox ones you can see the Rabbinate’s point. But what about Rav Chatzinoff? A pretty yeshivishe choshuveh guy. I wonder if a ger who comes to Israel and isn’t frum, they assume that he was not frum even when he was misgayer, and blame it on the rabbi.
Please correct this paragraph;
“One of the more recent cases that made the media was the conversion of Ivanka Trump by Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, which was not recognized by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. ” NOT TRUE. The Trump giyur was performed by the RCA whose conversions are accepted by the Chief Rabbinate without question. The story in the link you posted was about another giyores who converted through Rabbi Lookstesin. His conversions are judged on a case to case basis by the Chief Rabbinate, you’ll notice his name in NOT on the list of those who are summarily rejected.
This is not about conversions, but rather who get to immigrate to Israel. In order to immigrate to Israel you need a rabbi to vouch that you are jewish.
All you have to ask is that someones’s maternal great-grandmother is/was jewish according to Orhtodox Law. One doesnt have to be a Talmid Chacham for that. Any Reform “Rabbi” who knows someones Maternal Great-Grandmother’s maiden name was Sophie Goldstein and emigated to the US from someone in Galacia or Lithuiania is most likely jewish
Gadolhadorah you couldn’t be farther from the truth. Absolutely no one that could affect the government cares.