Who’s a Jew?

October 21, 2007 - 9:44 AM by

For as loooooooong as I can recall the debate over conversion to Judaism has raged in Israel.

Debate i.e. what type of conversion to Judaism is accepted by the rabbinical powers that be and what standards and procedures a person need adhere to in order to be considered Jewish at the end of the conversion process.

Less orthodox community leaders take to task the stringent requirements for conversion in Israel. Requirements that sometimes turn would-be converts off and at times deny a “kosher” label to a person who has undergone a non-orthodox conversation outside Israel.

Today’s Hebrew press is carrying a story claiming that yet again, Reform converts may have a chance in Israel of being recognized as Jews. Yup, the debate’s on again.

The government is negotiating with non-orthodox community leaders – i.e. within the Reform and Conservative communities – in an effort to reach a groundbreaking agreement that would allow both movements to form special conversion courts/councils. The move is expected to draw sharp rebuttal from orthodox community leaders.

I won’t translate the entire article here but in short, the Israeli government is working with the non-orthodox sides in an attempt to come up with something that will work for their community members.

Good luck. This is decidedly NOT new.

Tags: • Category: History and Culture, Israeliness 

Comments

4 Comments on Who’s a Jew?

  1. Liza on Sun, Oct 21st 2007 12:21 PM

    2. I’ve got a friend in the UK who underwent Orthodox conversion in Israel, married an Israeli and had two sons here (both of whom were circumcised here). The family moved to the UK, and when they tried to register the eldest son at a Jewish day school, he wasn’t accepted because the rabbinate in England refused to recognize the conversion that had been performed in Israel.

  2. Stephanie on Sun, Oct 21st 2007 5:21 PM

    3. Smells like politics to me…Don’tcha think?

  3. Liza on Mon, Oct 22nd 2007 11:34 AM

    4. Indeed I do. It was a big story in the Jewish press in England. Scary stuff, and needless to say, my friend and her family are quite bitter.

  4. Micah on Mon, Mar 2nd 2009 4:53 AM

    5. It seems its all conversion talk is now political. Think about It, A jew is someomne who believes there is one G-D, keeps Shabbos, keeps Koshers and keeps the Jewish holidays etc.

    Irony too, maybe thats why there are so few Jews in numbers. I can see conversion be tested yet near impossibility when you are being mislead by a Beth Din that says you are now A Jew is just cruel.

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