Conservative, Reform Judaism Movements in U.S. Hail Israeli High Court Ruling on Converts; Orthodox

The Conservative and Reform Judaism movements of America have hailed as a victory for pluralism the Israeli Supreme Court decision barring the label of a convert on identity cards, but the Orthodox say they have merely lost the battle, not the fight. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the Interior Ministry may not inscribe the word “converted” on the identification card of any person converted to Judaism. The landmark ruling is just one small step towards resolving a bitter and emotional conflict between Jewish religious factions over the question of “Who is a Jew?”

The Orthodox establishment has contended for years that Reform and Conservative conversions are not acceptable. The Orthodox in the Knesset have tried repeatedly to introduce an amendment to the legal definition of a Jew, a child of a Jewish mother or a convert, which would stipulate “converted according to halacha.”

The Orthodox first introduced the amendment in 1970 and many times since. Under the Israeli Law of Return, passed in 1950, all Jews are eligible automatically for Israeli citizenship.

LARGER ISSUES AWAIT RESOLUTION

Although the Supreme Court decision on the case of Shoshana Miller, a woman converted in 1982 by a Reform rabbi in Colorado, has encouraged the Reform and Conservative leaders, they admit that the larger issues of tolerance and religious pluralism remain to be resolved.

Miller moved to Israel three years after her conversion and applied for citizenship. The Interior Ministry refused to register her as a Jew but after she took her case to the Supreme Court, the Ministry agreed to register her as a convert.

Although this label on an identity card ostensibly contradicts a Jewish law which forbids distinguishing a convert from other Jews, the Orthodox would require it because in their view, persons converted by Reform or Conservative rabbis are not really Jews and shouldn’t be granted automatic citizenship.

NO COMPROMISE ON IDENTITY

“When it comes to identity, there is no compromise,” said Rabbi Moshe Sherer, President of Agudath Israel of America. “It is not a business deal which can be settled by everyone giving up some points. It goes to the very heart of Jewish survival,” he said.

Sherer said the issue of “Who is a Jew” is potentially one of the most divisive. “The issue will not die because at stake is a question as to whether the Jewish people should be split into two groups, which could not intermarry. This is a very possible result.

“This could happen if Reform rabbis, who include men and women who are admitted atheists and perform intermarriages, would eventually transplant this chaos to the Holy Land,” Sherer said. Sherer said the Conservative movement has damaged itself by aligning with the Reform on this issue. But, in Sherer’s view, a Conservative conversion is not acceptable either although performed according to halacha, because Conservative rabbis do not ascribe to the Orthodox belief that Torah was divinely revealed to Moses at Mount Sinai. “The conservatives have tampered with halacha — a Cohen can marry a divorcee, they allow driving to the synagogue on the Sabbath — they have made it a religion of convenience,” Sherer said.

ISSUE OF WHO IS A RABBI

Rabbi Benjamin Kreitman, executive vice-president of the United Synagogue of America, Conservative, said the Orthodox objections center on the question of who is really a rabbi. “From our point of view, there should be an acceptance of the pluralistic standard; we accept one another’s converts.”

Traditionally, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel was the key decision maker on acceptability of conversions, Kreitman said. Some of the cases, like Miller’s, have gone to the courts. Others have been required to submit to “blitz” conversions, a one day quickie conversion which usually requires the woman to go to the mikvah and the man to let a drop of blood as a symbolic circumcision. Many of the Falashas were required to have this type of conversion, and objected to it as a humiliation.

Kreitman proposed as one solution a joint Bet Din (Rabbinical Court) with Reform, Conservative and Orthodox Rabbis which would decide collectively on the standards of an acceptable conversion.

Kreitman said the Reform movement should compromise on conversions and “conform to proper standards acceptable by halacha.” However, he said, “we want to see some opening up of the Israeli society … To identify any person as a convert is an abomination; if they do not want to accept the conversion that’s a different story.”

FEARS ADMINISTRATIVE CONTRAVENTION

Rabbi Alexander Schindler, president of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Reform, said although he is “exceedingly pleased” with the ruling, he fears that “those responsible for carrying out the law will find some way of contravening it administratively.” He said even if the ruling led to the withdrawal of religious parties from the unity government, it would not hurt the government.

“The bulk of the Orthodox community does not want to change the Law of Return — it comes mostly from Lubavitchers,” he said.

Rabbi Charles Kroloff, president of the Association of Reform Zionists (ARZA), called the ruling “a giant step forward for religious pluralism in Israel” and “a victory for the democratic spirit of the State of Israel.” ARZA financed Miller’s lawsuit. “The current religious tensions in Israel can be alleviated if all parties will utilize the legal process and accept the judgement of Israel’s highest court.” Kroloff said.