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Sunday Jul 27, 2008
A-vital Blog: Help olim join the Jewish people
Some 300-350 thousand non-Jewish immigrants live in Israel today, mostly people who emigrated from the former Soviet Union under the Law of Return. They are all Israeli citizens; most of them well integrated in Israeli society. Many serve in combat units in the IDF. Under Israeli law and the famous Status Quo arrangement, the Orthodox establishment monopolizes the conversion process in Israel. Non-Jewish immigrants can die for the country, but cannot marry a Jewish citizen in Israel.
Two months ago an urgent meeting took place in the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee of the Knesset. Its chairman, MK Menachem Ben-Sasson, convened the meeting following a preposterous case that took place in the Rabbinical Court of Ashdod. At the end of a simple divorce case, the court retroactively revoked the wife's conversion - which took place 15 years earlier - declaring her marriage null and void and her children gentiles. The decision not only canceled the woman's conversion, but also discredited some 15,000 conversions preformed by Rabbi Haim Druckman, former head of the State Conversion Authority.
This meeting at the Knesset, as many before in the Immigration Committee, brought to light the catastrophic state of Israel's conversion authorities, where infighting and bickering between the omnipotent rabbinical courts and the powerless State Conversion Authority are the norm. Exposed too was the precarious situation of non-Jewish Israelis who seek to convert and face draconian measures.
Slowly but surely a sub-society is being formed in Israel: a society of citizens with Jewish ancestry who serve in the army and pay taxes, but are prevented from living as citizens with full rights integrating in Israel. Currently only 2,000 people convert every year: only 30% of the soldiers and 55% of the civilians who begin the process end up being converted. Clearly, this is a drop in the ocean. In fact, there are more non-Jewish children born to these families in Israel every year than there are converts.
Five years ago Prime Minister Ariel Sharon attempted to address this problem by establishing the State Conversion Authority in the Prime Minister's Office. Unfortunately, the new body was ineffective in substantially increasing the number of converts to Judaism. This is mainly due to the unwelcoming attitude of the rabbinical courts towards converts, as well as the rigid and protracted conversion process. A survey conducted by the Ministry of Immigrant absorption found that 76% of non-Jewish immigrants said that the greatest deterrent to beginning the conversion process was the uncertainty that they will eventually be recognized as Jews. Most respondents commented that an easier and more welcoming process would encourage them to convert.
Recently, a committee headed by Erez Halfon, Director General of the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, completed its work and compiled a plan to reform the conversion services in Israel. The Halfon Committee recommended the establishment of a Conversion Bureau in the Prime Minister's office, which would co-ordinate the various branches of the conversion process: special conversion courts, the various educational institutions and the information policy. However, the recommendations of the Halfon Committee were watered down by the Prime Minister's Office. The only palpable change seems to be the transferring of budgets from the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption to the Prime Minister's Office, and the addition of some 10 Rabbis to the conversion courts. Even the idea to recruit dozens of volunteer Rabbis to expedite the conversions was knocked down. The solutions offered by the Prime Minister's office are too little too late.
We must not forget that decisions taken in Israel with regards to the conversion process have a profound effect on converts and Jews in the Diaspora. Many non-Jews are reluctant to convert in rabbinical courts which may eventually not be recognized by Israel, and many courts are reluctant to carry out conversions at all. This situation has, of course, an adverse effect on the view of many Jewish communities towards Israel, communities that often contain many converts.
Failure to solve this issue immediately means a long-term disaster for the Jewish State. The damage caused to our social cohesion and the absorption of immigrants is immense.
What is required today is a paradigm shift in thinking towards the entire issue of conversions in Israel. The monopoly in conversions given to the Orthodox should not be unconditional - it can only continue if the treatment of those wishing to convert is radically changed. Conversions must be facilitated both by a more welcoming rabbinical system and by the removal of bureaucratic barriers. Let us not forget- the people in question have already decided to join the Jewish nation by immigrating to Israel. Their claim - as simple and honest as that of our matriarch Ruth, who declared "Your People is my people and your God- my God" - should be taken seriously.
1 | nate, Sunday Jul 27, 2008
First help the secular in name only people join the Jewish in more than name only people.
They have bled for and created more than one fifth column inside Israel
2 | Sagi, Sunday Jul 27, 2008
You can't one day decide to be a Jew. You were either born Jewish, or you were not. Considering most of those Russians (and I say that specifically towards Russians who came here, not Jews who came from Russia) came here because of economic opportunity and not because of any desire to join the Jewish people, people are retroactively seeing their aaliyah as some kind of latent patriotism. They did not choose to be Jews. They chose to be opportunists. And converting and trying to make them Jews is just further opportunism. Stay in the FSU. What happened to the Jewish state being for Jews.
3 | Joseph, New York City, USA, Sunday Jul 27, 2008
Sagi, Jewish parents are obliged to train their children in some sort of career. Helping someone start a business is considered one of the higher forms of charity. Earning a livelihood to support oneself and one's family is a Jewish value. Don't dismiss economic immigrants. By choosing work over dependency, they have already moved closer to Judaism.
4 | Jon B. Oxford, UK, Sunday Jul 27, 2008
I disagree with Sagi. People's motivations for aliyah can be complex. Yes, there are those who might do it out of opportunism; however, the vast majority of Jews, let alone Russian jews, are woefully ignorant about judaism and Jewish culture. More likely these olim have mixed motives. Their ignorance is not necessarily their fault, but rather a product of historical persecutions and upheavals. Let these people be exposed to other Jews and discover the culture they were deprived of without even knowing it. The result in many cases could well be a wonderful flowering of faith and loyalty.
5 | Rabbi Ephraim Rubinger, Miami, USA, Sunday Jul 27, 2008
. We ought be thrilled that there are thousands who want to return to the Jewish people, live in Israel and defend her. It isimply wonderful !
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov wrote tha such a day might come. He writes about it in Liqutei Maharan 17. He sees it as something very positive. His prediction of how this will happen is exactly the situation we find ourselves in today.
The Shulchan Aruch, the msot authoratative of all Jewish klaw codes makes it relatively easy for one to enter into the covenantof Israel. Why are there folks who want to make it more difficult?
6 | United States, Sunday Jul 27, 2008
"Help olim join the Jewish people" What she really means is "Help olim join the Labor party."
7 | Stanley Smith, USA, Sunday Jul 27, 2008
To convert to Judiasm should be as easy as it is to convert to Christianity. No rabinical courts are necessary. A simple statement that I accept Judiasm as my new faith is sufficient. The rabinical courts should be simply ignored or disbanded. Israel is a secular state not a theocracy.
Traditionally, the worst enemies through recorded time of the jews are other jews, and becuase of the constant in-fighting the state will be unprepared to once again fight for its survivial.
In addition, there might have been far less jews murdered throughout history if they dressed, ate and lived like
8 | Chaim, Monday Jul 28, 2008
Dear MK Avital, agreed- anyone WHO WANTS in their heart to be Jewish in Israel, acording to basic standards should be enabled to be Jewish in Israel. Zionism requires an embrace of the whole diaspora , bring them to the promised land with pride. Not merely the rules that sustained the diaspora are our guide, but provide legal framework for a modern strong ISRAELI approach to Jewish identitiy and observance. Please take your wise words and translate with the other MKs into sensible laws and policies for civil marriage and multiple rabbinates with equal legal right. Am Israel Chai.
9 | Miriam Ashkelon, Monday Jul 28, 2008
I agree with you Sagi. We have a great problem with non Jewish Russians in our town in Israel, especially the young "skn heads" that roam around drunk and openly anti semetic. I say we erred in being too quick to absorb the Russians without probing deeply into their lineage. Our good Russion Jewish olim are a joy to our town and our country - we welcome ou with open hearts.
10 | Wolf.Korper. The Netherlands, Monday Jul 28, 2008
I helped,working for the Dutch Jewish aid and social organisation, Russian refugees who were
mostly Jews or father jews with no knowledge of their jewish ancestry, due to the communist
regime.A lot of them however could speak Jiddish and I could translate for them.Some 45% of those
refugees went to Israel, to end suffering and no longer needing to hide their Jewishness.
As I'm a father Jew and barely eascaped the nazi camps and grew up secular, I feel myself to be a Jewish person and a zionist at that.So I can feel the need for many Russian (untraceble)Jews who
wanted to live peacfully.
11 | Sagi, Monday Jul 28, 2008
By the way, just so we are clear, everything that I said comes from my mouth, me being Jew who hailed from the former Soviet Union, and a native Russian speaker. Even more so than others, Jews from Russia don't like actual Russians coming here, because then they give us a bad name. The whole reason we left was to get away from them in the first place.
12 | Wolf Korper, Monday Jul 28, 2008
Dear Sagi.I learned from elderly Russian Jews that those who still respected the sabbath had to
leave signs on the stairways, in an special code,where the next sabbath meeting would take place.
Whenever Jewhaters suspected a Jewish residence they marked it with swastica's and other anti-
semitic writings.So of course they wanted to get away from there in the first place.They would not have done that if deep within them they would not have still remaned jews.I live in Europe and antisimitism is rising just like in Germany in the 1938 th. If younger ! I would have left Europe far behind me.
13 | Boris E., Monday Jul 28, 2008
Id like to suggest that all those lovers of Russians go to Russia or Ukraine and spend a year going to school, army and work with them and then write their posts. May be then theyll understand why Russian Jews dont want to live with them. Jewish Agency bureaucrats must be punished for bringing these Jew-haters to Israel.
14 | Chai, Monday Jul 28, 2008
if a oleh turns out to be anti-jewish skinhead, get rid of them. if they are a criminal - var, mafia , drug dealer or pimp, jail them. There are laws for this, its not a religious matter of conversion or no.
But as MK Avital is writing about - if they are just Russian Jew patri-lineal , or Oleh Jew son/daughter of a Jewish man /grandfatther and not considered jewish by the Rabbinate, but they consider themselves Jewish, let them be as they see themselves and offer reasonable laws and procedures to be themselves, Jews in Israel.
15 | alexander Kalish Houston and Jerusalem, Monday Jul 28, 2008
Friends,
I was rasied a jew by secular jews and am an engineer and a amateur scholar of Jewish history. I am having a very difficult time getting Oleh status. None of the US documents I have that state my ancestors as jewish are accepted by the Jewish agancy as proof of jewishness. These include US census records and head stones with the start of david clearly evident. This will not stop my immigration but it is patently ridiculous and anti-zionist. We need a better system based on the scientific rules of evidence and compassion -
16 | sylvia, Monday Jul 28, 2008
THE POINT IS NOT WHO WANTS TO BE JEWISH BUT HOW CONVERSIONS SHOULD BE PERFORMED. MS. AVITAL SEEMS TO SAY: LET'S DO AWAY WITH THE RABBINCAL INSTITUTIONS.
JEWISH LAW HAS 5000 YEARS. IF YOU DO NOT ADMIT ITS DIVINE ORIGIN, PLEASE REMAIN WITHIN THE CONFINES OF YOUR POLITICAL ARENA. I, FOR ONE, BELIEVE THAT THE RABBANIM CHOSEN TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS ARE WELL INFORMED ABOUT THE BIBLICAL INJUNCTIONS RE: CONVERSIONS. I WOULD HATE TO SEE THE RABBINICAL COURT CONDUCT THEMSELVES AS THE SECULAR ONES! AS FOR RUTH, SHE IS NOT THE AVERAGE JOE. ISRAEL ARE CHILDREN OF BELIEVERS.
17 | Chai, Tuesday Jul 29, 2008
The Rabbinical rules were established to keep the people of Israel whole from the time of the Roman destruction of our nation. Our nation is rebuilt, and therefore both the Temple Rituals as well as the Rabbincal rituals are subject to rationalization for the requirements of the present AM Israel, which includes people from many different Jewish Backgrounds. The Rabbanim of Talmud discused and defined religious law pertaining to this issue and others based on the political and social realities of THEIR time. Now the State, must make modern law for the good of the society and nation at present
18 | David Levi -USA, Tuesday Jul 29, 2008
Rabbis are not Kohen nor Levite to interpret the LAW of the TORAH, neither those seated in the rabbinical council in Israel. all rabbis are all missionaries and must surrendered their office to the High Priest who should be a Kohen descendant of Aaron who is authorized to interpret, teach and judge all religious matters according to Torah. The Govt of Israel should verify and bring to justice all those seated in the Rabbinical Courts who are drawing the citizen and all the Jews of Israel away from the Mosaic Law and its doctrine, displaying such arrogance in taking the pleasure to determine whos a jew who's not, as if they had the right under Mosaic Law to determine and judge what is correct according to TORAH, when this court continue to proselytize jews away from Mosaic Laws.
19 | mikki, Thursday Jul 31, 2008
I agree people cannot just be converted but I do feel that those whom were converted by Rabbi Druckman and choose to bring their children up in Israel should be accepted if they had a Jewish Grandmother. I have several Russian friends and whilst they did mostly come due to economic measures, those that had Jewish Grandparents have an admiration for Judaism and also have a need to give their children a base by taking on some of the Jewish Customs by choice. They want their children to grow up as Jews but do not necessarily have the opportunity to give their children some Jewish Traditions.
20 | Brad, Thursday Jul 31, 2008
The decision to overturn the conversions performed by Rabbi Druckman is perfect evidence of the elitist mentality of the Israeli Rabbinate. A convert who leaves Judaism becomes an apostate Jew, not a re-gentile. The fact that the rabbis not only ruined this woman's life, but all those that Rabbi Druckman converted is a chillul HaShem. They act as pious Jews, then commit what amounts to religious murder. How soon before they legislate a way to start revoking the status of Jews born Jewish??
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About this blog
A-vital Blog
MK Colette Avital of Labor discusses the region's recent developments and the implications for Israel's future.
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Recent Comments
Herbert Kaine, Hebron, Israel: It doesnt matter to Colette if Israel makes the wrong decision. She can always go to France. The rest of us Israelis will be stuck with the consequences.
Shmuel: This article is so poorly written. What kind of people do we actually have in the Knesset? The citizens in Israel need to stop following like lambs and start demanding responsibility from the elected officials. This can only be accomplished by having a system similar to the USA whereby, each region will have congressmen and senators who are responsible to their regions. This way they will not always have to follow the party line for fear of losing their Volvo.
Yossi Shomron, Nitzan Israel: I'm not surprized Colette Avital would emphasize policy and de-emphasize character - this from a k'nesset member who laid a wreath at the grave of Arafat (y'ach shmo) in Ramalla "out of respect". What about the respect for the thousands of Jews killed by Arafat's PLO? Character matters in choosing the leaders of our country.
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