A group of some two dozen Orthodox rabbis, members of the Rabbinical Council of America, have taken public issue with the Rabbinical Council’s new president, Rabbi Louis Bernstein, for his support of the decision of the National Religious Party in Israel to abstain from voting last July on an amendment to Israel’s Law of Return. The amendment would have required conversions under Orthodox auspices for newcomers to Israel.
Premier Golda Meir had made the issue one of continuance of her coalition with the NRP and all but one religious party deputy, Dr. Avner Sciaky, abstained. Premier Golda Meir promptly fired him as Deputy Education Minister for his action. Following the defeat of the amendment, Rabbi Bernstein wrote a letter to Rabbi Bernard Poupko, president of the Religious Zionists of America, praising members of the NRP, except for Rabbi Sciaky, for abstaining.
Since disclosure of the letter to Rabbi Poupko, Rabbi Bernstein has been under consistent fire from right wing elements of Orthodoxy. The latest denounciation, in the form of a letter issued by Rabbi Abraham Hecht of Brooklyn, called Rabbi Bernstein’s stand “an unprecedented audacity” because it “openly opposes the clearly stated opinion of the Gedolei Torah (Torah leaders) and likewise contradicts the clearly stated opinion of the Chief Rabbi of Israel.” Rabbi Bernstein was informed of the letter and pointed out that the Rabbinical Council has more than 800 members, most of whom he said supported his stand. He added that, beyond that, he did not wish to comment on the charges.
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