Gen. Moshe Dayan, Israel’s Defense Minister, today defended Chief Army Chaplain Rabbi Shlomo Goren against charges that he had violated military regulations by officiating at the conversion of a civilian, Mrs. Helen Zeidmann, here last week. In a letter published in Hatzofe, the religious daily, Gen. Dayan said that while military regulations prohibit extracurricular work by Army personnel, the conversion of Mrs. Zeidmann could not be regarded as work and Rabbi Goren received no payment. Gen. Dayan said that while the conversion may have provoked political consequences it was in itself a religious, not a political act.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.