[VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]
According to a Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) report filed by Yair Shrike, Rabbi David Stav and his organization, Tzohar Rabbonim, came under fire from chareidi rabbonim who are members of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel Council. The discussion surrounded recently passed law that will facilitate the process of giyur in Israel.
Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi David Lau expressed fears the law will place two lenient rabbonim at the helm, Rabbi Stav and Rabbi Shlomo Riskin (Chief Rabbi of Efrat), permitting them to establish a Beis Din for Giyur. Rishon L’Tzion Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef is quoted telling his colleagues that these rabbonim are not selected by accident, but because the backers of the law wish to establish a quick route to conversions.
According to the Galei Tzahal report, Chief Rabbi of Holon Rabbi Avraham Yosef was harsh in his verbal assault against them. “These two have led the battle for the past three years towards undermining the Chief Rabbinate,” adding “his behavior is not that of a rav, and it is unacceptable that he will have such authority, to perform giyur”.
When asked to respond, Tzohar Rabbonim issued the following statement:
It is sad to see that members of the Chief Rabbinate Council engage in gossip and slander instead of dealing with the terrible issue of assimilation among the Jewish People. Our organization vehemently protests the defamatory statement made at the meeting of the rabbinical council against one of the greatest rabbis of Israel. Shame on the rabbis lacking certification as dayanim to dare to cast aspersions on one tenfold greater.
The video is from a discussion on Zionism, including giyur, held in the Israel Democracy Institute on January 25, 2014.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
2 Responses
The Chief Rabbinate proved several years ago that it can not be trusted with conversions when contrary to halachah it pasuled thousands of them without an investigation of the individual cases. Baruch HaShem the Dati judge on the Israeli Supreme Court slapped them down and overturned the Rabbinate’s Chilul HaShem. Time to let Rabbis Stav and Riskin have a shot.
To reinforce what Charliehall said, I recall that Rabbi Sherman did something even harder to fathom than disqualifying thousands of conversions on the basis of shallow acquaintance with one of the converts. Had he done that, the converts would have submitted the proper testimony and carried on with their lives. Instead, he threw a shadow of doubt over them, creating an indelible potential stigma for them and their children.