The cabinet has already undone the giyur reforms pushed through in the 19th Knesset by the Bayit Yehudi and Yesh Atid parties but former Education Minister (Yesh Atid) Shai Piron is calling on Economy Minister (Shas) Aryeh Deri to stop before pushing through a new tougher state kashrus law. Piron, who was among the cabinet ministers favoring more liberal state religious services, is now calling on Deri to stop before it is too late, adding, “Is it good for Yiddishkheit or for the chareidim?”
Piron on Monday 19 Tammuz released an open letter to Shas, citing that Deri on Sunday succeeded in undoing the giyur reform pushed by former MK Elazar Stern. Piron is calling for a Halachic discussion before moving ahead with a new kashrus law. Piron points out “If a new kashrus is passed it will lead to the closure of hashgachos that do not find favor with the chareidi tzibur and leave everyone dependent on the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and the chareidim”.
Piron’s letter includes;
Aryeh, is the relative quiet in which the scandalous decision passed is not because you caused Judaism to become irrelevant to so many young people? Because the public feels it does not concern him? Don’t be impressed by a rash engagement with Judaism. There is a blossoming of Jewish spirit but it accompanied by disgust for the religious establishment.
Aryeh, you are aware there is machlokes in Halacha as there are many viewpoints. The decision in the previous cabinet was not one favoring giyur that was not in line with Halacha, but one giving room for other approaches within the framework of Halacha. Surely you do not think the rabbis of cities act contrary to Halacha chas v’sholom.
Aryeh, you reject young Israelis who came to Israel from the former USSR after years of separation from Judaism, who gave their soul in Israel’s wars and see themselves as part of the Jewish People. They are willing to accept Judaism in the deepest sense of the word and you, because of stringent Halachic opinions, reject them outright. They are good enough to die in defense of the homeland but not good enough to part of our people!?
Aryeh, you do not understand that transferring jurisdiction for the batei din from the Justice Ministry to the Ministry of Religious Services harms them. You turned them from judicial to sectoral institutions.
Aryeh, would a new kashrus law would also close down Badatz Beit Yosef, your hashgacha? Would you each Rabbanut hashgacha, the hashgacha you fight? Not everything is about money, jobs and political appointments!
Churban Habayis also comes with kashrus and money, spirit and power, appointments, and when nepotism becomes the center of discussion. Aryeh, for kovod of Yiddishkheit please do and about face.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
Hmm, the pot calling the kettle black.
Is this a recent picture of Piron? If it is, he must of lost a lot of weight.
politics as usual.
sad to see his criteria for jewishness. russians that fought for the country are surely jews! yes mr. piron, its exactly for this mindset that you dont see eye to eye. wanna go this way, join j for j. they share this logic, reform who trample on every jewish law championed you in the last knesset! nice political ploy to claim the underdog. imagine the russians (communists) preaching to the usa to define democracy as a country where the “leaders” have democracy.
call the communist a democracy and be the underdog when not accepted. same for reform, piron, and stern.
The problem with allowing others besides the rabbanut rashit to have jurisdiction over conversions or kashrut, is that, it can open the door to others like conservative and reform.
The rabbanut rashit even though isn’t prefect but it keeps others from making things worse.
In any case, what is needed to be done is to add one word to the law of return which is that converted are included in the law when the conversion was made according to “Halacha”(Jewish law)