Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren said last night that he would not bar non-Orthodox rabbis from the World Rabbinical Council he proposes to set up in Jerusalem to deal with halachic problems arising in Israel and the diaspora.
“There is one Jewish nation and whoever accepts the ruling of the Bible and accepts the halacha and shulchan aruch (code of religious law) will be welcomed to join the Rabbinical Council I am setting up,” Goren said at a press conference here. He said the sole criteria for inviting rabbis and Torah scholars was adherence to halacha–religious law.
Rabbi Goren made his remarks when asked by newsmen if non-Orthodox rabbis from abroad would be eligible. The Orthodox religious establishment in Israel refuses to recognize Reform and Conservative rabbis and they are prohibited from performing rabbinical functions in Israel.
The Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi said he planned to press vigorously for the adoption of an amendment to Israel’s law of return that would define a Jew as a person born of a Jewish mother or converted according to halacha. The law as it stands omits the words “according to halacha” and permits the recognition of conversions performed by non-Orthodox rabbis abroad.
Rabbi Goren said he wanted the controversial issue kept out of this years election campaign. He said he would suggest that the amendment be proposed as a private bill by representatives of all the large Knesset factions which will be asked to waive coalition or party discipline. According to Rabbi Goren, if MKs are allowed to “vote their conscience,” the amendment will pass.
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