Opinion
End conversion monopoly
Yedidia Z. Stern
Published: 16.12.10, 00:46
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13 Talkbacks for this article
1. If money passed hands for a conversion ?
Roland Seener ,   London England   (12.16.10)
2. truth
moshe ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (12.16.10)
The truth is, the state needs to get out of the biz. of religion and until it does, it will remain an evil disgusting mess regardless of what they do.
3. If IDF conversion not universally accepted
Avi ,   Geneva   (12.16.10)
this will just create two Jewish nations - the really Jewish, converted by the Orthodox - and the IDF and other gov't converts. Now, think about it - that is not reasonble. Before marrying a girl or boy, the spouse will have to ask: who was your father, your mother, were they really Jewish by rabbinical standards, or make-believe Jewish by government standards? The author does not look very religious, so he does not care. But for Jews who care about religion this is a very serious matter.
4. To #3
Aryeh ,   NY / USA   (12.16.10)
You're being unfair. The author is also a bit unfair too. He is dealing with a very complicated subject that requires a long discussion. The problems are not limited to conversion. There are many areas where the Haredi/Hardali/Dati-Leumi Jews should agree and establish one standard and this is one of them. In principle, they do agree, however there needs to be more discussion and more of a will (on all sides) to unite. Until this happens we will see articles like this one and responses like your response.
5. "end conversion monopoly" - and start conversion business ?
eporue ,   europe   (12.16.10)
6. Yes, #3, let's do that
Vered, Israel   (12.16.10)
You write : "Before marrying a girl or boy, the spouse will have to ask: who was your father, your mother, were they really Jewish by rabbinical standards". Yes, let the Orthodox do this - they really already do. BUT, for the rest of us, who have Biblical standards of being Jewish, not the Rabbinic halachic add-ons, we are free to marry like-minded Jews, without unwanted input from the Orthodox.
7. separate religion from state
nadav ,   tlv israel   (12.16.10)
and abolish the rabbinate! Why can't people see that religion and State CANNOT mix- ever! The simple reason for this is that there is NO one standard or opinion or view on religion! Just look at the hatred between hassidi dynasties, mizrachi and ashkenazi haredim, the Litvtak misnagdim and Hassidim, the national religious and Haredim, i mean, its obvious that there isn't even ONE VERSION OF ORTHODOX Judaism! we should let individuals and communities choose which religious law they want to follow, why is that so wrong or difficult? Jews have been doing this for over 2000 years!!!???
8. To Avi No#3. The idea is not to cause a rift you dont get it
Ari ,   Israel-Romania   (12.16.10)
The Rabbis in the Army are 100 Orthodox. The rabbinate in Israel has been Abbusing of his position or letting ultra Haredi groups to impose their views of the few over the views of the Religious Mayority. The Extreme Haredim on top of that. are furibund Antizionists. And the Orthodox Rabbis of the Army are Sionists, this is what hurt those fanatics. I will give you an example how many Rabbis can perform Conversions in USA, England or Even Switzerland. Is there a Monopoly of conversions in those countries? I guess not. For sure there must be some requisites for conversions, but there is no Monopoly. There should not be a Monopoly of conversions in Israel either. Specially since the Army's rabbis are 100% Orthodox. Beside, people who are giving their lives to the service of the State and want to become Jewish; not the easy way, they have to go through all the process like any other convert; should be free of all the humiliated burocratic process burden of the Rabbanut. This is not a rift in the people, is the extreme Haredim who want the people to make it look that way. In my opinion there should be in every mayor city of Israel, Rabbinical Orthodox Courts recognized by the Rabbinate, but to perform independently Orthodox conversions, this stupid monopoly should end. There are a lot of people not only in Israel who want to become Jews in the Orthodox way and are being driven away by stupid Rabbis with narrow minds. While all this happens the "silent murder" of the Jewish people, the assimilation process is gaining terrain. More people were lost to the Jewish People since 1945 by assimilation than in the Shoa Itself. THe way it goes, the existence of the Jewish people is not only threaten by the antesemitic forces but also from within. The Spirit of the Torah wellcomes those eager to be part of the Jewish people in a sincere way. The spirit of the prophets say. "Israel, You shall be the light of the Nations" How do you inlight somebody, by chasing him away from the light? in 1940 we were 12.000.000 Jews all over the world. Today we bearely make it to 12.000.000. The only country in the World who has increased his Jewish population is Israel, partly at the expense of other Jewish communities. I am not critysizesing Alia. But the Jewish people is the only Nation that has not grow in the past 70 years, hardly it replaced what was lost in the Shoa. While the Muslims and Christians have doubled or triplicate themselves in same period. Specially the Muslims who have wage a campaign of proselitism and have managged to deliver their message to thousands. On top of that a radical message. I hope you can give a thought to my writings and don't make them away with the hand like many orthodox do saying it is ah! nonsence. The fact that the Orthodox have many children is not enough. We have to bring more people to our court yard. And become more compasionate to avoid the asimilation process.
9. #3, methinks you guys already have this problem:
Dan the Jafa ,   Auckland,Aotearoa   (12.16.10)
Non-jewish wife of Moses was never properly converted...
10. "End conversion monopoly"
Harry ,   Jerusalem   (12.17.10)
The mere title shows how ignorant Yedidya Z is! It is also amazing how these people can even pen an article on a subject that is so foreign to them. This article is just another Jew bashing article. What monopoly?? Maybe so, because there is only ONE GOD & ONE TORAH. You obviously want to force Reform on us, and that is not going to happen. Your wishy washy way of "I FEEL GOOD" religion can stay in THE USA where it is going to disappear. NO! I do not want to have my child marry God forbid a non-Jew who you think is Jewish. It is enough that we have to deal with Israeli vs Jew syndrome.
11. Ari,, 8#, your statistics are off
Judah ,   Golan Heights,ISRAEL   (12.18.10)
There are 13,000,000 Jews in the world today. In 1939/1940 there was 19,000,000. If not for the holcaust we would be over 30,000,000 Jews.
12. talkbackers, learn to read: ALL IDF conversions Orthodox!
Israeli Jew ,   Israel   (01.16.11)
13. number of Jews in the world
fphaim ,   france   (01.19.11)
Ari said :"There are 13,000,000 Jews in the world today. In 1939/1940 there was 19,000,000." I'm not agree : 6,000,000 on 19,000,000 died in the Shoa... so, we are the same number as in 1945! no progression?!... strange Jewish People. We need jewish babies. Mitzvah Gdolah... God bless us!
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