The Issues behind the Issue

• Published date: 14 February 2022
• Publication title: Israel National News (Israel)

Much ink has been spilled, many pens have been broken, and significant vitriol has been vented over the debate regarding proposed changes to The State of Israel's conversion protocol. Sadly, the issue has pitted against each other rabbonim and leaders associated not only with different hashkafot (outlooks), but also those within the Religious Zionist community itself. All struggles and machlokot (disputes) are uncomfortable. They are even more challenging when they separate those so (relatively) hashkafically close to one another

Some have been presenting the debate as between the Religious Zionist and Haredi communities. In actuality, the issue is a matter of major debate within the Religious Zionist community itself. The ranks of those opposing the reform include many (seemingly the majority) of this community's Poskim, Gedolei Torah and leaders. In fact, one of the strongest objectors to the reform is the head of one of the Religious Zionists community's leading parties. (Sadly, the debate parallels a number of other major debates and disagreements currently creating painful discord within the Religious Zionist community.)

Unfortunately, the debate has evoked cynicism, delegitimization and recrimination. Certainly not all, but some on both sides present their opinion as the only legitimate one and accuse the other side of intentionally spreading misinformation, or even of falsification. Some have even resorted to casting doubt on the character of those who oppose their positions, sometimes engaging in outright character assassination.

For many it is a zero-sum game — their side has a complete monopoly on the truth, while the other side is composed of the devious, dishonest and power-hungry. Sadly, this tone has been exacerbated on social media, where subtlety and appreciation of the gray are often disregarded and people not always familiar with the details of the debate lambast Gedolei Yisrael and community leaders. The conversation within our community has come to mirror the acrimonious nature of "debate" in broader society.

In truth, we should generally give people the benefit of the doubt of being l'shem Shamayim (for the sake of Heaven, assuming we have no bonafide reason to suspect otherwise); this should be even more true in a case like this, which involves people who have faithfully devoted their lives to personal fulfillment of Torah and Mitzvot and to inspiring others to do the same. We have every reason to assume that the Rabbonim on both sides are acting for the sake of Heaven and what they perceive as the greater good of Am Yisrael.

There are those who are branding the Chief Rabbinate's objection to the reforms as motivated by their selfish interest in maintaining control and power. The fact that there are an abundance of Poskim (halakhic decisors), Gedolei Torah, and leaders within both the Haredi and Religious Zionist communities (totally disconnected from the Rabbinate with nothing personal to gain from their control) who also object to the reform shows that this is not the issue.

So what are the issues? Unfortunately, the rhetoric has been so intense and (often) disconnected from the actual issues, that many are having a hard time identifying and understanding the issues behind the debate. Most posts on the topic advocate strongly for one position without properly presenting the other side. It behooves us to respect each side by studying and understanding their opinions.

This article presents the issues and positions of both sides (Part One), offers an opinion on the matter (Part Two), and suggests how to move forward (Part Three).

II) Understanding the Debate (Part One)

* The Proposed Reform

MK Matan Kahana, the Minister of Religious Affairs (Yamina), has proposed a reform that allows for the establishment of additional batei din (courts) to carry out conversions. As opposed to the situation today, where all conversion needs the approval of the Rabbanut Harashit (Chief Rabbinate), the reform allows municipal rabbis (and possibly others) to run independent conversion courts. (Though the reform includes the Chief Rabbis on the oversight committee, the committee is carefully constructed to keep them from being able to set standards.)

There are two motivations for the reform:

* Some feel that conversion through the Chief Rabbinate can sometimes be inefficient, unnecessarily cumbersome, and insensitive.

* The intention to convert more people by employing creative paths and alternative standards (specified below).

* The Goal and The Issues

Those advocating for change aim to address the presence of hundreds of thousands of Israelis who identify as Jews despite being halakhically non-Jewish. The issue began (en masse) with the aliya from the former Soviet Union, which included (and continues to include) many people of Jewish descent, but not halakhically Jewish (because their mothers were not Jewish), who identify as Jews and have integrated within Israel's Jewish society. The presence of a large population of non-Jews who socially identify as Jews is unhealthy in that it leads to intermarriage and undermines the Jewish character of the State.

The ideal solution to the issue would be to convert this population. The challenge is that conversion requires kabbalat mitzvot (acceptance of observance of mitzvot) which the vast majority of this population is not ready to commit to. The suggestions made by those advocating reform is to convert minors (who are not yet old enough to be asked about kabbalat mitzvot) and (for adults) to employ an alternative standard for kabbalat mitzvot. Suggestions of this alternative standard range from not clarifying details of what converts are actually committing to or being...