Jewish Scene  Rivkah Lubitch
Rabbinic court defeats public 2-0
Rivkah Lubitch
Published: 19.06.11, 07:43
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13 Talkbacks for this article
1. They never convinced me they could cancel a conversion.
Tova M. ,   Rehovot, Israel   (06.19.11)
There is no history or halachic basis for what these rabbis are doing. And I stand dumbfounded that Torah-educated Jews, which this country is supposedly filled with, have allowed it to get this far. Time for God-fearing Jews to say, "No more!" to these rabbis.
2. let not get crazy
Larry ,   Los Angeles   (06.19.11)
Inspite of the divorce, if the converted side is still observant, there is nothing to worry about. It is only if the convert after a divorce decides to do away with that which he/she accepted mitzvot, then there is a remote possibility that the courts will see that the marriage was the reason for the conversion not the desire on the part of the convert to become a Jew.
3. Separate Religion from State NOW
Gregg ,   Haifa, IL   (06.19.11)
Modernity must allow civil weddings and divorces !!! How Israel can state being such a modern country when people are not even able to marry civil way? Israel is like any other arab countries... a 3rd world retarded middle aged country !
4. Well written
Ariel ,   Sao paulo brazil   (06.19.11)
Cria cuervos que te sacan los ojos. Rivka you have to admit that the only solution is seperation between religion and state. It have been discouver by the catolics 500 years ago. Lets do the same , or turn like any islamic country
5. Those who were converted by priests, reform or conservative
(06.19.11)
rabbis or judges from the High Court in Israel all fall into the same category. They are not Jewish and neither are those who were converted and do not keep the commandments. Even if they keep shabbat and one or two other commandments, they are not Jewish according to Jewish law. The rabbinic judges have therefore not formed a "new law" but clarified the existing law.
6. # 3
Mike Carmel ,   Rishon le Zion   (06.19.11)
Indeed so. But I fear it will get much worse when demography has done its job and the haredim take over the country, which they will. It is possible to divorce in a civil court in Israel and that would be a good option in this case. But of course the root of all these distorted regulatory practices is much deeper than that. Indeed state and religion should not be intertwined, because with the inevitable rise of the haredim due to their high birth rates, in the future this country will really be assuming its role as yet another primitive middle eastern theocracy. Depressing, isn't it?
7. #3 Israel cannot separate religion from state
(06.19.11)
Israel is different than other states and other countries. Israel is the only country in the world that exists ONLY because of religion. That is, the Jewish religion. Without religion, without Torah, the Jewish people have no right claiming the G-d given land of Eretz Yisrael.
8. A better question
Nis ,   Jerusalem   (06.19.11)
is, how does this woman convince these readers, that her halachic opinion carries any weight in a matter ruled upon by saintly and learned rabbis? You can argue from a civil standpoint, to separate synagogue and state, but as far as Halacha goes, I'm with the rabbis.
9. #7 agree with you
alex ,   jerusalem   (06.19.11)
israel only exists because of religion, which is by far the worst reason to do anything
10. Gregg#3
Avi ,   nyc   (06.20.11)
Great idea! Israel should become a secular, Hebrew speaking cosmopolitan state! Oe way to start is by changing ones first name from a Jewish one to a gentile one.
11. #7 Did you ever hear of David Ben-Gurion?
Sidney ,   USA   (06.20.11)
Israel was created by secular Jews who believed in Jewish peoplehood not by religious Jews. Zionism was a secular not religious undertaking.
12. to #5: what are you talking about?!
tom ,   toronto, canada   (06.20.11)
first of all, who is talking about jews "converted by priests, reform or conservative rabbis or judges from the High Court"? that is just your prejudice talking. the rabbinate is now cancelling orthodox conversions, by orthodox batei din, retroactively. and there is no halakhic basis for that whatsoever. once a person converts, they are to be considered jewish in all respects, and the torah itself clearly and repeatedly forbids us to discriminate against, or oppress, the convert in any way. holding them to absurdly higher standards than other jews is clearly a violation of that principle. worse, if the rabbis can cancel a conversion retroactively, can they also "cancel" the jewishness of any other jew, based on their level of observance? do these "learned rabbis" now intend to exclude 3 or 4 million secular israeli jews "from the tribe"? and what about the observant jews? is every one of them "kosher"? just for one trivial example, how many of them eat turkey? (not all rabbinic authorities accept that the turkey is a kosher bird.) will they also now be excluded? this whole thing is against torah mi'sinai, it is an invention of the rabbinate, and it is very certainly a bad idea that will harm k'lal yisrael.
13. Is this a story?
Eva ,   Haifa   (06.20.11)
Woman is afraid the Beit Din will question her conversion, but they don't and everything turns out fine. If she's worried, do you think it has more to do with actual negative experiences with the Rabbanut, or the horror stories presented as norm in the anti-religious press?
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