THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
10 Friday, May 17, 1985
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Rabbinical Court Unlocks
Civil, Religious Questions
BY MINTZI SCHRAMM
Special to The Jewish News
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The Ecumenical Institute for Jewish-Christian Studies
and
Zionist Organization of America Metro Detroit District
present
REV. ISAAC ROTTENBERG, Exec. Director,
National Christian Leadership Conference for Israel
"CHRISTIAN VIEWS OF ISRAEL: IS ZIONISM RACISM?"
Tuesday, May 21, 1985
7:30 p.m.
North Congregational Church
26275 Northwestern Hwy. (at Lahser)
Admission Free
co sponsored by: ADL, B'nai B'rith Metro Detroit Council (Men & Women), Detroit Roundta-
-
ble Nat'l Conf. of Christians and Jews, Conga Shaarey Zedek, the Jewish Community
Council of Metro Detroit
Rabbis Chaskel Grubner, Leizer Levin and Leib Bakst sit as a Beth Din.
A Russian immigrant, married
and divorced in Russia, wants to
remarry in a religious ceremony.
What is his status under Jewish
law?
A divorced mother who has
converted to Judaism lives an Or-
thodox life. During the week, her
son attends a religious school and
observes the commandments. On
the weekends, her ex-husband
takes the boy to church and gives
him non-kosher food. What can be
done?
These questions are among the
many that have beeii posed to the,
local Beth Din, the Orthodox
court of lavi that is just one of the
services provided by the Vaad
Harabonim, Detroit's Council of
Orthodox Rabbis.
Ever since Jethro advised his
son-in-law Moses to delegate the
authority for -hearing and judging
the complaints of his people
(Exodus 18:14), there's been a
special Jewish tribunal to rule on
special questions.
In Detroit, the ultimate
authorities of this tribunal are
Rabbi Leizer Levin; Rabbi Leib
Bakst and Rabbi Chaskel
Grubner. But a panel of, the neces-
sary three-member court can be
drawn from the total membership
of the Council of Orthodox Rabbis,
23 local Orthodox rabbis. The
Beth Din meets regularly to de-
cide matters in civic issues, such
as property settlements, issues re-
lating to marriages and personal
status, religious customs and
rituals, and problems arising
from kosher food laws.
There is no apeal. The rabbis
say each issue must be in accord
with Jewish law, and only, the
members of the Beth Din are qual-
ified to interpret Jewish law.
They add that God's divine
presence resides in the courtroom,
providing the spiritual atmos-
phere that characterizes all delib-
erations.
"Before rendering an opinion,
the three rabbis of the Beth Din
must thoroughly evaluate all re-
levant material and their source-
s,"says Rabbi Grubner. "That's
one way we assure accuracy."
Should the problem prove very
weighty and the issue open to sev-
eral different interpretations, the
Beth Din will refer to the opinion
of a recognized authority.
In a procedure reminiscent of
arbitration, the Beth Din requires
that all parties involved sign a
document binding them to the
final decision. As a result, deci-
sions of the Beth Din are inevita-
bly upheld in civil courts.
They are also accepted by other
religious courts, most notably
those in the State of Israel, which
is governed by both civil and reli-
gious law. Rabbi Grubner says
that since there is no civil mar-
riage or divorce in Israel, an indi-
vidual's status must be deter-
mined according to Halacha
(Jewish law) before marriage or
remarriage.
For example, Detroit's Beth Din
provided the necessary informa-
tion so that two Detroiters who
met in Israel could get married
there.
"The Israeli courts do not rec-
ognize the authority of individual
rabbis. They will only deal with
other offici1 bodies like the Vaad
Harabonim and the Beth Din,"
says Rabbi Grubner.
The local Beth Din is also in
contact with other Jewish tribun-
als in America and in other parts
of the world.
"We even have means of getting
through to the other side of the
Iron Curtain," says Rabbi
Grubner. "The way we get our in-
formation from this source is vw
involved and the phone burrs
enormous, but it's helped us re-
solve matters relating to new im-
41t-
migrants in Detroit."
The Council of Orthodox Rab-
bis, which includes the Beth Din,
is largely supported by the pro-
ceeds of an annual public ban-
quet, to be held this Sunday at the
Westin Hotel.
The Council of Orthodox Rabbis
welcomes questions. Persons may
visit the office at 17071 West Ten
Mile Rd., Southfield, or call 559-
5005.
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