Insight

The problem ofIsrael's rejection of non-Orthodox conversions won't go away.

Remember
When • •

From the pages of The Jewish News

AVI MACHLIS

Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Jerusalem

I

claims to legitimacy.
The Orthodox, dominant in Israel
but only 10 percent of American
Jewry, fear that any change in the so-
called status quo, which gives the
Orthodox control over Jewish reli-
gious issues, would weaken the Jewish

n a move that increases the
pressure for a negotiated resolu-
tion to one of the country's
most vexing
issues, Israel's highest
court has agreed to
take up whether the
state must recognize
non-Orthodox con-
versions.
Last week, the
Supreme Court said
it would put off until next April a
hearing on the legitimacy of
Conservative conversions
•
fa0Mant
of adopted babies but said ercamge
that when it does take up
the matter it will address the
general issue of conversions by
lumping together more than
50 other outstanding conver-
sion cases.
47.
That decision could set the
highest-level precedent on
non-Orthodox conversions.
According to a statement
issued by the Masorti, or
Conservative, movement, Chief
Justice Aharon Barak agreed that the
special panel to convene in April "will
discuss the issue in principle of the
State of Israel's recognition of non-
Orthodox conversions."
character of Israel.
Reform and Conservative leaders
had recently turned down a request to
Melchior, a
modern
delay the hearing made by Rabbi
Orthodox rabbi,
Michael Melchior, minister of
said the committee's purpose is to
Diaspora affairs, who is heading a
strengthen unity among the Jewish
new governmental conversion com-
people in Israel and the Diaspora"
mittee. The committee represents the
and to promote "dialogue between
first high-level attempt to address the
the streams." Although Reform and
controversial issues that have divided
Conservative leaders are pleased with
the movements since Prime Minister
his goals to promote dialogue, they
Ehud Barak was elected in May.
say they don't expect much from the
Melchior is expected to be quizzed
committee and are disappointed that
closely on the issue when he speaks
next week to American leaders meet-
they are not on the committee itself.
"I do not have high expectations from
ing in Atlanta at the annual General
this committee," said Rabbi Uri Regev,
Assembly of the United Jewish
director of the Reform movement's Israel
Communities. American Jewry, which
Religious Action Center. "The commit-
provides hundreds of millions of dol-
tee does not have the authority to
lars in annual support for social, edu-
cational and economic programs in
decide. It will have to go back to the
government and I feel that the commit-
Israel, is dominated by Reform and
tee may be an unfortunate exercise in
Conservative Jews who feel Israel
further prolonging the process."
should recognize their movements'

till Ticki

•

ts

"

In expressing his hopes for the
committee, Melchior has pointed to
the fact that Cabinet ministers across
the political spectrum will address the
issues there.
The liberal streams also expressed
dismay that one of the committee's
first acts was to ask
the court to delay
next week's hear-
ings. "We wel-
comed the estab-
lishment of the
ministerial corn-
mittee on conver-
sion, but we are
sorry about the fact that the govern-
ment exploited this committee in
order to delay the legal procedures on
the matter once again," said Rabbi
Ehud Bandel, president of the
Masorti movement, after
Thursday's decision.
The hearing that was
originally scheduled for
next week was to debate the
case of a single adopted
child who was converted by the
Conservative movement in
Israel. The case is the remnant
of a legal process that began in
August 1995 with 18 converted chil-
dren, most of whose families eventu-
ally tired of the struggle and convert-
ed them through an Orthodox rab-
binical court.
In addition, the family involved in
the single remaining case does not
live in Israel anymore, a fact that
could have posed technical problems.
Meanwhile, the Reform movement's
Religious Action Center is representing
an additional 52 cases of adults and
children who were converted in Israel
and abroad but .were not recognized by
Israel. Their files include one modern
Orthodox woman whose conversion in
New York has not been recognized by
Israel.
Regev said that although he, too,
was upset with the delay, the April
decision will now include these cases
as well as an additional two
Conservative cases. He said the result-
ing decision could produce a much
more powerful precedent than what
would have occurred on the single
Conservative conversion. "We have
the whole gamut," said Regev. "All the
issues are now coming to the fore."

for this week 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50
years ago.

The Jewish Ensemble Theatre (JET)
planned to open its first full-scale sea-
son with The Man in the Glass Booth.
The West German government
presented its highest civilian award
to Miep Gies, the Dutch woman
who hid the family of Anne Frank
from the Nazis.

.

'

. .

:Act.

2. 4 r

Two-hundred passengers escaped
injury when the locomotive of a
train from Haifa struck a bomb
on the Yarkon River bridge north
of Tel Aviv.
Author Howard Fast was the
scheduled to be kick-off speaker at
the Jewish Book Fair at the Jewish
Community Center.

Esther and Jack Gorback returned
from San Juan, where they pho-
tographed 900 couples who won a
nationwide sales contest held by
Auto-lite Ford Parts Division of
Ford Motor Co.
Dr. Alex Friedlander, chief of the
allergy section at Grace Hospital in
Detroit, was made president-elect
of the American Association for
Clinical Immunology and Allergy.

1959

Lawrence Gubow was re-appointed
by Governor G. Mennen Williams
as corporation and securities com-
missioner.
Norman and Ruben Cottler,
proprietors of Dexter-Davison
Markets on Curtis and Wyoming
and Dexter and Davison in Detroit,
announced the opening of a third
store in the suburbs, on Coolidge
and 10 Mile Road in Oak Park.

-

viagbANDMItZ " VIN.Mk.V

Herman C. Margulies has been
named assistant executive director
of the Jewish Home for Aged.
Yeshivath Beth Yehudah turned
down 50 children due to an over-
flow of enrollment.

— Compiled by Sy Manello,
Editorial Assistant

11/12
1999

33