Rabbi Aryeh Stern, who is a leading candidate to become the next Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Yerushalayim, told his inner circle that giyur must be in line with Gedolei Yisrael Shlita and the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. One assumes the timing of his comments was due to the announcement Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has announced he is toppling the Giyur Bill sponsored by Justice Minister Tzipi Livni.

In addition, the rav may fear certain papers written by him in the past regarding giyur may be misinterpreted to use against him ahead of the election. The rav’s aides explain the documents written by him in the past were written as part of limud and probing and not in any way intended to reflect a psak halacha. However, to eliminate and doubt, the rabbi clarified his position on the matter of giyur.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)