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The controversial
Conversion Law
slammed back into
Israel's headlines late last
week, creating a new
Aron
Rabbinate would retain sole conversion
authority, which it has always enjoyed.
However, a new "Jewish studies insti-
tute" set up by the Jewish Agency and
administered jointly by the Orthodox,
Conservative and Reform would be
open to conversion candidates.
But nothing in the proposed new
law requires the Chief Rabbinate to
convert candidates who learn Judaism
at this institute, and here is where the
LARRY DERFNER
Conservative and Reform balk. They
Israel Correspondent
note that the Chief Rabbinate rejected
the Ne'eman recommendations precise-
ust when everybody thought
ly because they were unwilling to have
the Conversion Law crisis had
anything to do with an institute where
somehow miraculously faded
Conservative and Reform authorities
away, it burst back into the
could teach Judaism.
limelight. The Netanyahu government
The law now being proposed by
is once again on a collision course with
the government leaves it up to the rab-
the Conservative and Reform move-
binate (meaning Orthodox rabbis)
ments — and, by extension, with
whether to convert candidates who pass
American Jewry — over
through the institute
the issue.
and the rabbinate has
The government is now
made its position clear
trying to pass an updated
Yet Finance Minister
version of the Conversion
Ya'acov Ne'eman is blam-
Law which, it claims, gives
ing the Conservative and
consideration to Reform
Reform movements for
and Conservative Jewry. Yet
rejecting the compromise
Rabbi Ehud Bandel, leader
attempts and throwing the
of the Israeli Conservative
issue back onto the con-
movement, said the new
frontation path. Bandel,
proposal "is merely the old
who sat on the Ne'eman
Conversion Law dressed up
Commission, and other
in new clothes. If it passes,
Conservative and Reform
Ya'akov Neemans con-
it will strengthen the
version compromise was leaders accuse Ne'eman of
Orthodox monopoly on
deliberately misrepresent-
rejected by Orthodox.
conversion and put a stop-
ing their position.
per in the effort to intro-
And now, with the govern-
duce religious pluralism in Israel."
ment selling its new proposal as having
After the Conservative and Reform
something for everyone opponents are
accepted the Ne'eman Commission
having a hard time fighting it in the
compromise on conversion last January,
Knesset.
the Orthodox Chief Rabbinate rejected
"We have to explain to [every one]
it, so the Conservative movement's legal
that the Ne'eman recommendations
battle was reactivated. -On-June 4, the
called for the Chief Rabbinate's agree-
Israel Supreme Court ordered the gov-
ment, while this law does no such
ernment to let the Court decide the
thing," said Rabbi Bandel. "The chief
matter (which could well result in
rabbis cannot be forced to recognize us;
recognition for Conservative and
they can only do so voluntarily. You
Reform conversions), or to try to pass a
can't legislate good will.
law in the Knesset.
"Now I think it is necessary to go
The Netanyahu government, under
back to the original idea for a compro-
pressure from Orthodox religious par-
mise — to find a technical, not theolog-
ties, announced that it would go for the
ical, solution," he said.
law. But the government sees it cannot
The problem is that gentiles convert-
pass the original Conversion Law,
ed by non-Orthodox rabbis in Israel are
because three of its secular coalition
not recognized as Jews for the purposes
partners — the right-wing Tsomet, cen-
of Israeli citizenship. Suggestions have
trist The Third Way and Natan
been raised to have the Interior
Sharansky's Yisrael B'Aliya — oppose it.
Ministry, the state's representative in
So the government has come up with a
matters of citizenship, fudge the con-
new rendering of the Conversion Law,
vert's religion with an abbreviation here
which, it claims, includes the conciliato-
or an erasure there — a "technical"
ry Ne'eman recommendations.
solution that would grant official Jewish
Under this proposal, the Chief
status to non-Orthodox converts.
j