14 July 2016

The Conversion Controversy

9 Tamuz 5776
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parshat Balak

Disingenuous headlines this week proclaimed that a Beit Din in Bnei Braq had ruled that Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka was not Jewish. Of course nothing could have been farther from the truth, but when did that ever stop the media from reporting it? 

This is a very important read to understand what is behind the most recent controversy between Eretz Yisrael and the Diaspora...

Thoughts on the Conversion Mess

by Dov Fischer

In the wake of public discussion regarding R. Haskel Lookstein’s conversions, Ivanka Trump’s halakhic status, demands by so-called “Open Orthodox” rabbis for Israel broadly to recognize their private decentralized conversions, wildcat and other outlier Orthodox rabbis who have contributed their own decadence to the process, and the delicate subject of the unity of the Jewish People — herewith thoughts on the conversion mess:....

6 comments:

  1. (SIGH)

    And who else's "conversions" will be next?

    Note: No comments regarding Lookstein himself. I'm speaking generally.

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  2. Yes. Very well done. I never bothered to read anything about the "controversy," thus my comment above.

    This harkens back to the mahloqeth between Rav Sherman and Rav Drukman, which the wind was taken out of Rav Sherman's sail, when the secular, Israeli Supreme Court settled the matter.

    We were all dumbfounded by the result, but should never have been surprised by it.

    Mamlakhtiyuth at its height.

    This is just the next chapter in the saga of de-Judaizing and de-Jewifying Israel.

    Rabbi Lookstein just got unluckily caught in the middle, I suppose.

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  3. This is an excellant article! Everyone should take the time to read it as the question WHO IS A JEW does effect all of us sooner or later. I didn't know anything about the RCA-BDA GPS system with the Israeli Chief Rabbinate. I myself converted twice (conservative and then 3 months later orthodox) about 30 years ago. Since I'm "Pre-2006", I just wrote to my rabbi to enlist his help in getting a certification of past conversion's kashrut. Thanks for bringing this article forward Devash! S.S.

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  4. I wouldn't worry about any of it. It's just another mess for Moshiach to sort out, may it be sooner rather than later.

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  5. Exactly, Devash - because of all this trying to water down and change Torah, these 'sick' groups are purposely or just stupidly causing problems for the nation of Israel, meaning the Jewish world. Conversions are not to be taken lightly; it affects the whole nation. There should never be a question of who is a Jew. This has been an understood for thousands of years and it must be upheld stringently, otherwise, the repercussions could be catastrophic. Undoubtedly, there is a sinister plan to cause as much division and destruction to the Jews as they can - this time, spiritually, which is even more severe than the physical. May H' protect His people.

    EMET

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