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Statement by Rabbi Marc Angel on the "Rotem Bill" dealing with conversion to Judaism

By Rabbi Marc D. Angel
 
The State of Israel has unfortunately surrendered responsibility for conversions to a Hareidi-dominated bureaucracy. The Chief Rabbinate and their courts have insisted on imposing stringencies far beyond what halakha demands; the negative attitude of many of the rabbinic judges further alienates potential converts to Judaism. 
  The "Rotem Bill" will serve to further alienate potential converts to Judaism. It will create a breach between Israel and the Jewish diaspora. It will not only alienate non-Orthodox rabbis and communities, but will deepen the rift between the Israeli rabbinic bureaucracy and the Modern Orthodox rabbinate in the diaspora.
   We are clearly living at a time when the over-riding concern should be to increase the number of Jews in the world; to increase the number of supporters and friends of Israel; to be as inclusive as possible in reaching out to all who wish to identify with Israel as a Jewish State. To maintain the current conversion policies in Israel is in direct conflict with the best interests of Israel and the Jewish people. To introduce a conversion bill that will alienate so many Jews and so many potential converts to Judaism--this borders on the absurd.
dovid's picture

rotem bill

Submitted by dovid on July 22, 2010 - 2:01am.
As a person of B,NAI ANUSIM background , i was brought back giur l,chumera 20 years through a orthodox bet din -in LOS ANGELES. The rabbi , who presided over it - is a big talmid chacham and posek. He is internationaly famous and well respected by the gedolim of ISRAEL, such as RAVS LAU, DORON, YOSEPH, SHEPIRA, and ELIYAHU. He has letters of endorcement from them. I am greatly concerned and insulted by this law. I did not come back from the fires of the inquistion - to be put through this. I am an shomer shabbat, kashrut keeping, and all around mitzvah and halakhah keeping jew. I don,t want to have to be fighting for my religious status of a jew-just because of a powerplay - by some hareidi rabbis