Court rules state must fund non-Orthodox conversion courses

8 Comments on Court rules state must fund non-Orthodox conversion courses

David-Joe on Sat, May 23rd 2009 1:39 AM


If it was up to the Orthodox there would be no Medinat Isael.

It was because of the East European Jewish socialists and the Reform Jews around the world led by the United States Reform movement that were Zionists.

The religious Zionists of today are johnny come lately’s.

I have no time for religious people of any ilk. They are either utter hypocrites or seek everyone to be subdued to THEIR way.

I’d better stop here.

Vanna on Mon, May 25th 2009 8:23 AM


So many have paid a price for Israel to be what Israel is. If you want to be in the reformed movement, come to the US. I am concerned that if Israel continues to move towards the reformed movement, that you will move toward persecution of the orthodox. The orthodox will have no where to go.

Gila on Wed, May 27th 2009 11:03 AM


The only real conversion to Judaism is a halachic one, what is generally termed orthodox. There are deep spiritual realities to the whole process of conversion which requires a complete commitment and often a great deal of suffering on the way (I know, I went through it). A non-halachic conversion is in reality no conversion at all. The person concerned still remains a non-Jew, whatever they may themselves and others wish to believe. This has huge ramifications, not only for them, but for their families and their descendants.

The whole purpose of being a Jew finds its fulfillment in being connected to Hashem by keeping the commandments of the Torah. There is a very real soul difference between a Jew and a non-Jew (I know this for real as a previous non-Jew who converted halachically). This may not seem, at least on the surface, in keeping with modern sensibilities about equality for all, but the “chosenness” of being Jewish is actually about having more responsibilities because of this soul difference – which was created by Hashem, so if you don’t like it you will have to take it up with Him because it was His idea – and not necessarily being “better” than a non-Jew.

Orthodox Jews will NEVER accept non-halachic conversions where the practitioners do not accept all the Torah, its divine origin, and the need to follow halacha, and orthodox Jews are growing in numbers not only because of higher birthrates in religious families and assimilation amongst largely less religious Jews, but also because of more and more balei teshuvahs returning to Judaism and finding their true spiritual fulfillment in living a religious life that their soul was actually designed to do.

I knew another person who had converted Conservative and later converted Orthodox. She knew the difference and testified that she only received her Jewish soul at her Orthodox conversion.

Not everyone may like this, but the reality of the Torah isn’t about a democratic vote to see who accepts it or who doesn’t, it is about truth and the Jewish path to coming closer to our Creator as well as having a structure within which we can make the best possible relationships with others.

Yitzchak on Wed, May 27th 2009 1:46 PM


In one of those I-can’t-believe-IN-Israel-a-SECULAR-court-decides-THAT-ORTHODOX-JUDIASM-ISN’T-KOSHER-ENOUGH, and that any organization can break the (halachic) law — as long as they don’t violate THEIR (secular) law — and get funding.

Although anyone is entitled to their own observances and to deviate from orthodoxy, why does that entitle them to official sanction and funding? Can you imagine homopathic practioners demanding recognition as accredited “doctors” and funding from the state the same as “orthodox” medical doctors despite the fact that their creed is in direct contridiction to medical theory (no matter how worthy and beneficial that might be!!).

Emeq ben Yosef on Wed, May 27th 2009 8:41 PM


How quaint! Now that’s the pot calling the kettle black now isn’t it? Here’s a nice complainer that seemingly has no qualms about following the dictates of men, writing laws as you go, replacing the Leviim with their “rabbis”, but “they” are the teachers of truth. Hmmmm, me thinks there is nothing in this scenario which speaks of truth except TORAH. And, not your: “well our sages taught”, so now it’s law. Or, well we’ve been doing it this way for so many generations now that our customs have become our law. NO! Get it Right the first time. It says do not add and do not take away. RETURN! Return to TORAH and we will have peace. That is all that is required. You know, the prophets taught us that the LAW was so simple that a child was able to understand it. We surely don’t need the self-righteous blind leading the rest of us down the path to destruction. Have we not had enough of that? But then maybe this will cause us to RETURN.

Reuel ben Avraham on Sat, Jul 11th 2009 4:48 PM


Why is it that the Haredim don’t fight in the army, but rather send those secular Jews they condemn to bleed for them, but the Haredim get all the rights and everyone else gets the short end of the stick. There is something seriously wrong with this picture.

Reuel ben Avraham on Sat, Jul 11th 2009 4:52 PM


Gila,

You talk about all the baalei teshuva coming to Orthodoxy, but why did you leave out the part where no one born frum wants to marry them? As usual, the Orthodox apologists paint a distorted picture.

Gila on Sun, Jul 12th 2009 10:15 PM


Firstly if you have a Jewish neshama in a gentile body, the force of the need to come home to become the Jew you are supposed to be is far greater than anything else. Whether you get married or not, you have to be a Jew, and every moment of waiting to come home can literally be agony.
Secondly, not every born frum person necessarily wants to marry a baal teshuva, but so what? Some will, but in any case, if you’re a Jew, you’re a Jew. There are many baal teshuvas who will happily marry each other and have frum from birth children.
Thirdly, the orthodox did not make the essential rules about who is a Jew and who is not. Ultimately G-d did. And when someone goes through a halachic conversion, they literally do feel the soul difference once they have gone to the mikvah. I certainly did, and so did other people I know. Although a halachic conversion is required which involves the acceptance of the convert into the Jewish nation by three shomer shabbat Jewish men, the Jewish soul is given only by G-d, not by man.
Finally, according to the time given on the site, while obviously everyone is free to do as they please, it is nevertheless I feel a shame Reuel ben Avraham, that you appear to have felt it necessary to break the shabbat to post a comment. The point of the things not to do on shabbat is to allow people the freedom to enjoy the things they can do, spending time with family and friends, eating, drinking, resting and relaxing, enjoying being in the presence of G-d. The sense of the loving presence of Hashem is truly much greater on shabbat than the rest of the week and can really feel wonderful. Especially in Israel.

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