Foreign workers seek conversion

Foreign workers interested in Reform conversion. The Reform movement is marking the conversion to Judaism of some 1000 people over the last five years. It seems that every year hundreds of foreign workers request to convert to Judaism. Although the Reform movement seeks to increase the number of converts, it seems to prefer to keep out most interested individuals. "We do not want to be a backdoor for foreign workers," movement members said.

The issue of conversion in Israel has popped out lately and it seems the State of Israel is looking for the right formula to deal with the phenomenon. Although in Israel Reform conversion is met with many obstacles, in the United States the movement registered numerous successes. A new U.S. study has shown that "active" converts exhibit a stronger bond to Judaism than Jews by birth.

Reform Jews believe that also in Israel the picture can be changed. Israel has to regain its composure in relation to the conversion of hundreds of thousands immigrants, most of whom come from the former Soviet Union.

Over the last 15 years over 300,000 non-Jewish immigrants arrived in Israel. These immigrant are registered as "other" in the Ministry of Interior's Population Registry but they conduct their live fully among the Jewish section of Israeli society. "Today for the first time Israeli society is dealing with questions societies abroad are forces to deal with," Reform Rabbi Gilad Kariv of the Israel Religious Action Center said.

The hot potato

Reform movement members decided to roll the hot potato of conversion to the doors of the High Court of Justice and in February 2002 they fired the first shot of their struggle. After a petition by the Israel Religious Action Center and the World Union for Progressive Judaism, the High Court ordered the state to register Reform and Conservative converts as Jews in the Interior Ministry records. The High Court is studying three petitions by the same groups who have requested the state recognizes the right of return for Reform movement converts, to allocate state funds for reformist centers, and to recognize conversions in matters related to adoption.

The Reform movement set up 20 conversion centers which oversaw the conversion of 1,000 people over the last five years. Converts attend two-hour weekly meetings for a year. The process involves taking part in community life, prayers, and holidays. At the end of the process converts undergo a ritual immersion and males undergo ritual circumcision.

"As far as we are concerned, converts have to show interest in taking an active part in community life. We found that the when conversion does not force immigrants to adopt an alien way of life they become more open to accept the Jewish identity. For me it is important that the immigrants know and recognize, after which he will have the right to choose. I hope they will find ways to keep Shabbat but as among Israelis most have a secular-liberal life, and so is the case among immigrants. If an immigrant decides to visit the synagogue on Friday and cooks on Shabbat, it is acceptable as far as I am concerned," said Kariv.

"When we'll have a serious conversion process, converts will become an important section of the community. Reform Jews are confident it is a matter of time before Israel makes the conversion process more comfortable and practical. If they do not make the changes required soon, the problem will worsen," he added.

'We have no budget'

Responsible for the reformist conversion center Beit Daniel in Tel Aviv, Rabbi Galia Sadan, said one of the central problems facing reformist conversions is the total absence of government funding emanating from the state's refusal to recognize this entity as a public body. Most Reform movement centers are funded by foreign donors.

"Because of this situation converts can register as Jews in the Interior Ministry but before doing so they have to seek approval for their conversion in court and then register as residents in Israel," Sadan said.

Reform converts have to pay some NIS 1,000 (USD 220) as opposed to orthodox converts who pay nothing. Reformist converts also have to pay NIS 2,000-2,500 (USD 440-550) for the circumcision ritual, while Orthodox converts are exempt of the cost.

Reform Jews know that their conversion program can appeal to some foreign workers. "Every year hundreds of foreign workers apply and employers have also shown interest in the issue," Kariv said.

Sadan and Kariv said their conversion centers do not accept foreign workers unless they are the spouses of Israeli citizens. Sadan explained this policy saying that "at the moment the struggle is to have the State of Israel recognize Reform conversion and we don't want to harm this process and we don't want to be a backdoor through which foreign workers get Israeli nationality."