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Leading Dati Leumi Rabbanim Decry Kahana’s Giyur Plan


Leading Dati Leumi Rabbanim of the Irgun Rabbani Toras HaEretz HaTova gathered at a conference on Sunday at the ancient shul in Motza to discuss a variety of issues, especially the religious “reforms” being advanced by Religious Affairs Minister Matan Kahana.

“They’re battling here via legal means to obscure the Jewish identity of the state of Israel,” HaRav Dov Lior said. “They want to harm the Rabbanut and recognize other streams.”

“We have to remember that these aren’t streams of Judaism but are streams against Judaism. We have to stand strong and not give in. Our intention is l’sheim Shamayim and therefore we will have siyata dishmaya to thwart this dangerous trend.”

HaRav Dov Lior speaks at the conference. (Photo: Rafi Freeman)

The Rabbanim spoke about the giyur reforms, saying that they are a breach that will destroy not only Judaism in Eretz Yisrael but in Europe as well, adding that soon they may have to launch a private marriage registry.

HaRav Shmuel Eliyahu , HaRav Elyakim Levanon, HaRav Dovid Chai HaKohen (Photo: Rafi Freeman)

Rabbanim at the conference included HaRav Dov Lior, HaRav Yaakov Ariel, HaRav Zalman Melamed, HaRav Shmuel Eliyahu, HaRav Chaim Steiner, HaRav Elyakim Levanon, HaRav Uri Cohen, HaRav Yaakov Shapiro, HaRav Yaakov Filber, HaRav Dovid Chai HaKohen, HaRav Issir Kulansky, HaRav Eitan Eisman, HaRav Yosef Artziel, and others.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)



8 Responses

  1. While I am completely not qualified to opine on the Halachic side of this, one can clearly draw a parallel between this issue and the Kashrus reform issue. There has been a lack of willingness by the Rabbanut or the Charedi Badatz to police the behaviors of a not so small minority of kashrus supervisors and Dayanim who sit on the Giur Batei Dinim. There are many well publicized instances where the Mashgichim have extorted business owners and there have instances that I am personally aware of where Dayanim have abused perspective giyurim, especially women, who they ask the most inappropriate intimate questions. The absence of oversight by the Rabbinical Authorities and the impossibility to remove a poorly behaving Mashgiach or Dayan have given the Kahal something to complain about. The Rabbonim have enabled this situation to happen and instead of responded with a clear plan for reform, they issue Kol Koreis that not worth the paper they are printed upon.

  2. Zionism is dead so now they come up with this, 1st they brought Russian1/8 Jews, then they brought Africans now they want to convert everyone.

  3. 1. This is actually “good news” since it will lead to the “Dati Leumi” and the “Hareidim” (both terms are a bit vague) becoming friends again.

    2. Dubious conversions have been a problem since the end of the 18th century (in Europe, at least), and so if one really wants to be certain of their “yichus”, one needs to trace one’s ancestry (on the maternal line) to a frum ancestor.

    3. The zionists have been using a modification of Hitler’s definition of a “Jew” (anyone with a Jewish grandparent), adding are only the requirement that the person not have converted to another religion (atheists welcome, as one expect from the zionists).

    4. One should note that if someone is Shomer Mitsvos and discovers a possible problem (e.g. a Great-Great-Grandmother who might not have been Jewish), it is not a very big problem to arrange a conversion (out of safek) for someone who is already frum (problems with conversion arise when the “convert” isn’t willing to be Shomer Mitsvos).

  4. those Dati Leumi Rabbonim advising Minister Kahana are certainly in no need of hechsher by these rabbis. Eilu ve’Eilu is a well-recognized principle of halakha.

  5. @aml The biggest issue is that every mashgiach is on the payroll of the restaurant (unlike the kashrus organizations of the USA) and the stupid Israeli system that doesn’t let anyone get fired without paying a HUGE “fine” for the “chutzpah” of firing an employee who’s not doing their job, by paying one month for every year of employment “pitzu’im” of salary to them after your fired them. It’s a huge mess, and yes, nobody wants to take achray’us to fix it.

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