American Orthodox Leader Attacks Dayan for Intervening in Religious Matters

An American Orthodox rabbi levelled a sharp attack against Defense Minister Moshe Dayan today, accusing the Israeli leader of intervening in problems of halacha–Jewish religious law. According to Rabbi Issachar Dov Bergman, chairman of the 62nd annual convention of the American Mizrachi Organization which opens in Jerusalem Aug. 4, Dayan’s attempt to intervene “in problems which are under the sole jurisdiction of the Rabbinate” is “undermining” that body and has “adverse implications” for the mutual relations between Israel and Orthodox Jewry in America. Bergman apparently was referring to Gen. Dayan’s intervention in behalf of a brother and sister, both members of Israel’s armed forces, who were denied marriage licenses by the local rabbinical authorities because they were deemed “illegitimate.” According to religious law, as interpreted by the Orthodox establishment in Israel, persons the rabbis determine to be of illegitimate birth may not marry legitimate persons.

The case which shocked and outraged most Israelis, is still pending. Gen. Dayan has also suggested on several occasions that the dual Chief Rabbinate be abolished in favor of a single Chief Rabbi. Rabbi Bergman said the questions of who is a Jew, inter-marriage, illegitimate and similar problems would be dealt with by a special committee of the convention on mutual relations between Israel and American Orthodox Jews. Referring to another matter. Shraga Kahan, a Mizrachi leader and official of the Israel Bond Organization in New York, said he would try to head off the forthcoming visit of a Black Panther delegation to the United States this fall. Kahan claimed the visit would be harmful to Israel and said he would try to persuade the Panther leader’s to give it up. He said he would propose a special “yad achim”–“hand to brethren” campaign to be conducted in Orthodox synagogues to raise money to help poverty families in Israel. The Black Panthers, Jerusalem slum youths of North African and Asian background, have been demonstrating against poverty and alleged discrimination. They announced early in July that a delegation would visit the U.S. in September to arouse the American Jewish community to the problems of poverty in Israel so that they would pressure the Israeli Government to do something about it. The trip is being financed by undisclosed sources.