Religious Affairs Minister Matan Kahana revealed his giyur reform plan on Wednesday morning, spurring a furor of outcries and condemnation.

The plan allows for any city Rabbanim to form a Beis Din and perform giyur, enabling controversial Rabbanim who rely on kulos not accepted by the majority of Rabbanim to peform giyur for hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens who are not halachically Jewish and the wholesale giyur of children [while living with non-Jewish parents].

Kahana told Yisrael Hayom: “Almost a half of a million citizens who aren’t Jewish according to halacha live in the state of Israel today. These are descendants of Jews who live with us in the army, work, school, etc. The time has come to allow anyone who wishes to do so to join the Jewish nation according to halacha and to do so in a welcoming giyur process.”

As opposed to the kashus reforms, which were condemned by Rabbanim across the board, Kahana says that he has the full support of several senior Dati Leumi Rabbanim, including Rav Chaim Druckman, for his giyur plan. “No one can claim that this is a ‘Reform plan’ that encourages assimilation since senior Dati Leumi Rabbanim support it and they expect the Rabbanut to adopt it,” he said.

However, unlike Tzohar chairman Rav Stav, Rav Druckman does not support the conversion of minors, and in an interesting development, Rav Druckman signed a letter on Wednesday, along with other leading Dati Leumi Rabbanim, calling on the public to protest against the government’s attacks on religion and its attempt to turn the Jewish state into a “state of all citizens.”

Additionally, it should be noted that the majority of leading Dati Leumi Rabbanim, including HaRav Dov Lior, HaRav Yaakov Ariel, HaRav Zalman Melamed, HaRav Shmuel Eliyahu, and many others, are opposed to the giyur reforms. At a conference of senior Dati Leumi Rabbanim on Sunday, the Rabbanim denounced Kahana’s plan as “dangerous not only for Eretz Yisrael but for European Jewry as well” and spoke about the potential need to launch a private marriage registry.

Kahana said he believes that the municipal Batei Din will make the process of giyur much easier. “We want to find ways to help them, to establish courts that see converts as an asset and as [having] potential – an active conversion system that courts Israelis of Jewish descent that will return to the Jewish people.”

As part of the plan, Kahana told Yisrael Hayom that he plans on launching an unprecedented campaign to call on hundreds of thousands of non-Jewish Israelis to convert. “The subject of giyur is in our souls,” he said. “One in every 10 couples is in a mixed marriage. These are our best friends at home, at work, and at school. The Rabbanim understand that if we don’t act on the issue, we will harm the State of Israel’s Jewish identity.”

“Kahana is granting a gift to the goyim for their holiday,” UTJ MK Uri Maklev said. “This is a plan of contempt for the kavod and yichus of the Jewish nation, he’s trampling and uprooting everything. As we feared, Kahan is turning the acceptance process to the chosen nation into a registration process for a country club. They are swiftly leading us to have no choice but to establish a community yichus register.”

The plan calls for: 1. The existing giyur system will receive legal state consideration for the first time. 2. City Rabbanim will be able to establish Batei Din for giyur within the framework of the state conversion system. 3. A “Municipal Rabbanim division” will be established within the state conversion system which will oversee the establishment of municipal Batei Din. 4.  A Vaadas Rabbanim will be established to formulate the procedures for local Batei Din. 5.  The Chief Rabbi and the Moetzet HaRabbanut HaReishis will have the authority to annul the appointment of a dayan for giyur via a regulated process.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)