UTJ lawmaker says appointment of respected rabbinic judge is ‘like putting an idol in the Temple’; religious affairs minister pushes back, saying he won’t be bullied
By TOI STAFF
Religious Services Minister Matan Kahana speaks during a conference in Jerusalem on August 1, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Religious Affairs Minister Matan Kahana announced this week that conversions to Judaism will be headed by Rabbi Benayahu Brunner, who is affiliated with Tzohar, a group of relatively liberal Orthodox rabbis, prompting outrage from Haredi lawmakers and religious leaders.
Tzohar is a religious-Zionist organization that aims to bridge the gaps between secular and religious Israelis by finding alternatives to the Chief Rabbinate on matters like Jewish weddings, prayer services and supervision of kosher food.
The appointment of Brunner came after Kahana terminated the tenure of the acting head of the Conversion Authority, Moshe Veller, who is a close associate of Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau.
Brunner currently serves as head of conversion in the rabbinical courts of Safed and Haifa, and is considered to be an important dayan, or religious judge, in the field of conversions.
In a statement, Kahana praised Brunner for his expertise in the area of conversion, as well as management skills.
“I am happy that Rabbi Brunner has accepted my request to serve as acting head of the new conversion system,” Kahana said. “The rabbi has been involved for most of his life in Torah and academic research in everything related to conversion… The rabbi also has rich experience in management and knows how to create positive interactions with those around him. I wish him much success.”
Kahana also thanked Veller for his service and “for his great contribution to conversion in Israel and for fulfilling his role for three and a half years.”
Kahana’s decision came despite a threat from Lau, the chief rabbi, that he would not approve any future conversions to Judaism as long as the government continues to advance a plan to ease the process and dilute the Chief Rabbinate’s control over it.
Lau’s authorization is currently required for all conversions in the country. Halting the process will impact two significant segments of the population — immigrants from Ethiopia and from the former Soviet Union. Some members of these two groups require Orthodox conversion to be recognized as Jewish in Israel.
On Tuesday, United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni slammed the appointment of Brunner as akin to “placing an idol in the Temple.”
MK Moshe Gafni reacts during a session in the plenum hall of the Knesset, July 26, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)<
Kahana responded to Gafni on Wednesday morning, defending Brunner and saying he would not be bullied on the matter.
“Good morning, MK Gafni. Here’s a news flash: We stopped working for you. Look for other children to bully. Rabbi Benayahu Brunner is a dayan and an important Torah scholar,” Kahana tweeted, with a screenshot of Gafni’s statement.
“I received the recommendations for his appointment from the greatest rabbis of religious Zionism, including Rabbi [Chaim] Druckman and Rabbi [Yaaqov] Medan. You are the last person he needs letters of consent from,” Kahana said.
Tzohar, in a statement to Israel National News, welcomed the appointment and said that Brunner’s “great expertise in this area guarantees that conversions will be in good hands.”
The appointment was also defended by Religious Zionism MK Bezalel Smotrich, who said Brunner was “an important rabbinic judge and very worthy of the position.”
Head of the Tkuma party MK Bezalel Smotrich speaks at the annual Jerusalem Conference of Channel 20 in Jerusalem, on March 16, 2021 (Courtesy Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)<
Meanwhile, the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA), one of the world’s largest organizations of Orthodox rabbis, was reportedly set to hold a conversation with Lau on Wednesday to address a number of issues.
According to the Makor Rishon website, the conversation is set to cover not only the conversion and kashrut reforms planned by Kahana, but also the outcry surrounding Lau’s recent visit to the family of Chaim Walder, the Israeli ultra-Orthodox author of children’s books who was recently accused by dozens of young women and men of sexual abuse, during the shiva mourning period for Walder following his death by suicide last month.
The report said that some of the American rabbis were also hoping to speak directly with Kahana to discuss his plans for reforms.
Israel’s Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau attends a ceremony of the Israeli police for the Jewish new year at the National Headquarters of the Israel Police in Jerusalem on September 5, 2021. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)<
Coalition lawmakers last week postponed a vote on legislation that would reform the Jewish conversion process, after determining they lacked sufficient support to advance the bill. The bill’s supporters hope they will be able to whip up enough votes over the next two weeks to advance the bill.
In a recent interview with The Times of Israel, Kahana said he was engaged in “an ongoing dialogue” with Lau on the matter of conversion.
Converts to Judaism who move to Israel whose conversions are not recognized by the Chief Rabbinate cannot marry in Israel, as the rabbinate controls marriages. Reform and Conservative conversions performed in Israel have not been recognized for years.
Kahana was recently provided additional security due to threats he has received over his plans to reform issues of state and religion. At the beginning of the month, several prominent religious Zionist rabbis called for protests against Kahana’s reforms.
I agree, Ted. I only advocated tolerance for all Jews who are not hostile to Israel, and do not attempt to sabotage Israel. Tolerance for individuals who are not hostile to Israel is not the same thing as remaining silent when Jewish groups and individuals attack Israel and Zionism. We must do ideological and propaganda battle with those.
I think you are confusing things here. There are elements among the Hareidi and the Reform who hate the other. I disagree with the haters. We should love each other regardless of our religious affiliation.
What I am concerned with is the rejection of Zionism by many liberal left Jews and even by some orthodox sects. With them we must do battle.
They can think what they want but should not work against Zionism nor support the Palestinians.
In part because its so difficult. What is important for me is that their Sabra children have an easier path to being Jewish.
@TED-
You are ignoring that the non Jewish Russians make little or no effort to convert,. They are happy to keep the pork and bacon shops doing good business. A crime in Israel, when Jews are NOTED for their aversion to just those items. I’d bet that Goyim who never met a Jew and know nothing about Judaism, STILL know that Jews hate pork.
Those Russians escaped from a dilapidated regime of shortages and poor living; are now happily living the good life and are with their relatives and friends. It’s just an unfortunate situation for a Jewish State.
I also believe that many of the Reform Jews in Israel, so unctuously and liberally over-praised by other posters, are so because they are just too lazy to go through the rituals that Orthodoxy requires. It doesn’t follow that they believe the Reform cant.
@Bear. I agree with you that other Jewish people should be tolerant of Reform Jews. I don’t think they are bad people. Many in Israel and the diaspora do support Israel. I don’t doubt that many have served in the Israeli armed forces.
In past posts, I have said almost exactly the same thing about haredim. I think we are both right (no pun intended).
While I disagree with the politics of the haredi leaders, many haredim are friendly to other Jews, honest, hard-working and patriotic. Some do serve in the Israeli army, even if many of their leaders oppose their doing so. And within the past few years some haredi leaders, especially those of Shas, have backed away from their previous opposition to haredi service in the army.
In the United States, so me haredim actually lean to the left politically, such as the editors of the English-language haredi newspaper Hamodia. Another American haredi newspaper, the Yeshiva World News, is affiliated with a haredi charity whose members travel all around the world to help people in distress as a result of natural disasters or major accidents such as plane crashes. In fact, the YWD often disasters that the MSM doesn’t cover at all, such as a serious sewage leak in Seattle a few years ago that was ignored by the mainstream media. A Yeshiva World reporter interviewed people who had lost water and sewer service and were suffering from ‘on the spot” in Seattle. In most cases, the disaster victims that YWN interviews, and solicits donations for, are non-Jews.
The point I am trying to make in usual overly verbose way is that we need to be accepting of our fellow Jews, regardless of our political, religious and philososophical differences. We have every right and perhaps even duty to express our disagreement with the political opinions of the leaders of other Jewish movements. But we should not reject Jews with whom we disagree or treatment them as the enemy. And we should repect their beliefs even though we disagree with them.
While there are way too many Reform Rabbis who side with the Democrats and are for policies that us right wing Jews do not condone, the movement states the following on their official pages. So they are two fold officially Zionists plus Globalists. The Globalist part when it comes in conflict with Israel is the issue. What I say to my right-wing friends do not throw out the many reform Jews who love Israel (many live in Israel and serve in the IDF). Be tolerant and try and keep from dividing the small Jewish people-hood when possible.
full text at https://urj.org/what-we-do/israel-engagement
The reform Movement when founded in Germany was anti-Zionism. They looked at Judaism as a religion only and rejected the idea of the Jews being a people. This carried over to America. I remember in the 1960’s or so we had a very famous Rabbi of the biggest Reform Synagogue in Toronto who started to reverse this. He stood out as a Zionist. But the “were not a people crowd” dominated the Reform movement in the US and I submit still does.
Thanks for that info.
Full article at: https://www.jpost.com/magazine/conversion-in-israel-the-russian-aliya-512079
Full
@Ted Belman
That sounds about right ~30%.
It was a huge aliyah.
The more recent ones are more mixed, I think, but they didn’t have to choose Israel so I think they feel a connection to it.
Anyway, we are facing much bigger problems like a MUCH larger non-Jewish population which claims to be indigenous and oppressed.
@Edgar G.
The reason that your marriage was relatively easy in Israel is precisely BECAUSE you wife was a convert.
A convert is like a new penny – there is nothing there to check.
Jews think that yichus is about what you have in your ancestry.
In reality, yichus is about what you DON’T have in your ancestry, that’s why the rabbinate is so hard on the born Jews.
They also have this insane notion that everyone in the world wants to pretend to be a Jew and move to Israel.
I think the Rabbinate just wants to limit the number of secular Jews in Israel.
Of course, if there is another Holocaust, this means that they will become murderers of Jews (who they don’t consider Jews).
Smotrich actually said several months ago that Judaism is RELIGION ONLY – which is, technically, heresy.
Ted, many of the former Soviet Jews where being converted during IDF service after taking Judaism classes and converted per Halacha by Zionist Orthodox Rabbis. They were not required to live Haredi lifestyles after conversion but could continue to live like any other Israeli.
The Rabbinout now unlike in the past requires converts to live Haredi lifestyles. This not real nor desirable. The Tzohar rabbis I do not believe will require this ridiculous requirement.
In the past this was not required. The Haredi changed the rules of the game were it became untenable for many to convert because the over the top requirements.
I think there are 300,000 Russian Israelis who are not halachically Jews. That’s who I am referring to./
@Ted Belman
No, you don’t.
To say that all the children of the “Russian” olim are not Jewish is a libel.
The majority of the olim from the FSU are halachically Jewish.
Among the ones who are not Jewish there are many who have Jewish fathers and non-Jewish mothers or other “Jewish roots” (the Law of Return has to apply), and the Jewish Agency does not accept the children of those who have a Jewish grandparent even if these children are underage).
The children of mixed marriages whose mother is Jewish are halachically Jewish.
The only “Russian” problem you are having is that the Chief Rabbinate viciously discriminates against the olim from the FSU and considers them goyim no matter what.
Which is kind of interesting because this means that the members of the Chief Rabbinate have no fear of God since they willfully make goyim out of Jews (maybe they think this is a new mitzvah – #614).
Also, the American Jews should be very careful with these kinds of accusations considering that these days, unless your family has been a member of an Orthodox shul (which is not on the Rabbinate’s secret black list) for at least two generations – the rabbi must sign a document stating that he knows that your mother is Jewish – (9 out of 10 American Jewish families do not qualify), you would not be considered a Jew for the purpose of making aliyah, and I don’t even have to mention the American sexual revolution which must have resulted in a large numbers of mamzerim.
If you still somehow manage to make aliyah without this “proof of Judaism”, you may get your citizenship but at the cost of sacrificing your Jewishness to the Rabbinate.
I suspect that there are few things in life more humiliating than knowing that you family has been Jewish for generations, went through the Holocaust, etc. and being told that, as far as Israel is concerned, you are not Jewish and will need to convert.
In general, I support conversion according to halaha only. But this appointment of the head of a “liberal Orthodox movement seems to me be be kosher; Surely there is room for a spectrum of orthodox views. In Judaism dissenting views are not rejected.
But we have a Russian problem. I think the Jewish people have to be smart about it. Would you want all the children of Russian Israelis to be Jewish or not. At the moment they aren’t..
I one jokingly posited that all these Russians be taken down to the Jordan R and dunked there and declared Jewish so theIr children would be halachically Jews (ie Jewish Mother.). Let these children grow up thinking they are Jewish just like secular Jews do. In time the Jordon episode will be forgotten..
While anyone legally resident in Israel has the right to be treated with humanity and dignity, and should be within reason, Jews who are ultra-liberal politically are all seemingly on a quest to stuff themselves into the nearest oven.
@BEAR
I have always believed that the Rabbinate became MORE strict, the more it was being pushed against. Self defence. Very common syndrome.
As I said, I had comparatively little trouble marrying in Israel, even though my fiance, of the Plymouth Brethren, was a convert a few years before we met. She had her Orthodox conversion cert from a Seattle Rabbi–(also a previous Reform cert from Vancouver). NO
problem…But they gave ME quite a going over as to my ancestry and more.
After all, with my name, and that I was the first generation after the shtetl, and that my Bobba’s father was a 7th generation of well known Rabonim …This all meant nothing to them. THAT’S when I became “irritated”. I actually shook my fist under the guy’s nose, whilst threatening him.
As I’ve said, I had comparatively little trouble, but a REAL headache from the shaliach. I knew him, was a school and chaidar friend of his elder brother. The guy was a slob, living like a king, staying with his brother, but sending in large hotel bills, and ignoring all forms of his duty.
On arriving in Israel I told my cousin, an editor with L’Isha. He arrived at my apt. with a cameraman etc. they did a double centre fold in their next edition, and I blew the whistle…but GOOD.
The headline was something like…”Shalichim are the cause of low aliya”. The poor simp sued both the magazine and myself, and it was laughed out of court. The ferd was fired about 2 days after the story came out. I think they also sued him and got a large sum of “hotel” expenses, all court costs, and he was fined.
It gave me a “reputation” for a while which helped me in some other bureaucratic matters-except with the Rabbinate, which I handled as described.
Yes there are Reform Rabbis who are not friends of Israel and politically aligned with the Democratic party. I am not a fan in general. However their are Jews who belong to Reform Temples who are very pro Israel. I know some who made aliyah and served in the IDF.
Do not put all in one basket is my point.
The Rabbinate now (unless it changes) makes the rules (which includes all the rules for conversion, marriage, recognizing who is a Jew for those purposes, divorces, and many religious ceremonies (this is the only area they do not have a monopoly). They are also losing their monopoly a kashrut certification.
@ SEBASTIEN-
I mostly agree with your post, except the very beginning. I believe that it’s “the business of every Jew”, seeing how small a people we are and how beleaguered. When I lived in Israel everybody wanted to know my “business”, When wheeling my young kids along in their pram, with another on my arm, or holding my hand, I’d look back, to see passers by stopping and looking at me.
I had strangers in the street, telling me “You hef verrry lofely grenshildren” AND, contrary to all belief. it gave me great nachas
@BEAR-
I also got married in Israel a long time ago, and it was comparatively easy. It could have been “complicated” but after I threatened to break the desk rabbi’s jaw, and also to throw his phone through the window. It went like a goog clock.
I think the whole arrangement took about a week. And, as I posted about it here. We were married in my apartment, and the Municipal machers sent along a chupa, a chazan, and a rebbe, 80 years old, about 5′ tall with a lovely long silver beard. Even a glass and napkin.
@Edgar G Ha Ha. You said, “Reconstructionist” Jews ( I suppose these are cement workers)I’m sure you know these and I’m teaching my grandmother to suck eggs, but what the dunkel.
A man is rescued from a desert island after 20 years. The news media, amazed at this feat of survival, ask him to show them his home.
“How did you survive? How did you keep sane?” they ask him, as he shows them around the small island.
“I had my faith. My faith as a Jew kept me strong. Come.” He leads them to a small glen, where stands an opulent temple, made entirely from palm fronds, coconut shells and woven grass. The news cameras take pictures of everything – even a torah made from banana leaves and written in octopus ink. “This took me five years to complete.”
“Amazing! And what did you do for the next fifteen years?”
“Come with me.” He leads them around to the far side of the island. There, in a shady grove, is an even more beautiful temple. “This one took me twelve years to complete!”
“But sir” asks the reporter, “Why did you build two temples?”
“This is the temple I attend. That other place? Hah! I wouldn’t set foot in that other temple if you PAID me!”
@Bear Klein You said:
It seems to me it would be ideal if they could separate marriage from conversion, leaving conversion the way it is, while making marriage easier. Probably not possible politically, right?
https://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/reform_judaism_is_the_democratic
But, if you’ve ever listened to or seen a broadcast Reform service or been to one in person, as I have, it’s no joke, especially around election time.
There is no reason why Reform Israeli Jews would need to convert unless their mother isn’t Jewish, is there?
@Bear Klein Most converts will come from the US. Do you believe Rick Jacobs is pro-Israel, lip service, aside? Would you like to see foreign Jews with views like this making aliya and VOTING!?
https://urj.org/blog/we-hold-all-these-truths
Also, they oppose BDS but they also oppose anti-BDS laws and laws restricting entry to Israel of BDS supporters!
Reform Judaism is NOT hostile to Israel. There are reform Jews in Israel and congregations and people who serve in the IDF. Their are reform Jews who are hostile to Israel. Do not conflate the two.
The Haredim are hostile to reform Jews and harm the relations between Israel and the Diaspora. Israel accepts for aliyah purposes Jews who were converted either reform or conservative outside of Israel and make aliyah. It simply does not allow for such conversions inside of Israel. So the government recognizes such people as Jews. However, the Haredi monopoly on religion in Israel might keep these people from getting married inside Israel (or their offspring).
About 50,000 Jews go outside of Israel every year to get married because they do NOT want to deal with the Haredi rabbis.
I got married in Israel a long time ago and it was a pain in the posterior.
by “they,” I am not referring to secular Jewish Israelis but to foreigners who wish to convert and then “make aliya.” Just as I am suspicious of too much migration, I am suspicious of too much conversion. Speaking as a Jew by birth who has no choice in the matter, and has been made to pay the price by just looking Jewish over and over, not to mention that I am a second generation Shoah survivor. All but a couple of my European relartives were murdered, 19 people, including my paternal grand and great-grand parents, so I feel it is my business, even if I plan on staying put if possible. Also, I have many relatives in Yesha, even if I am not in contact with them. I feel the need to say that since otherwise it is annoying when uninvolved people(s) tell others how to live their lives.
As a secular Jew and non-Israeli, it’s none of my business, in a way, but as a political Zionist who sees Israel as the sole lifeline for world diaspora Jewry when push comes to shove, while, one the one hand, I see the necessity for including secular Russian Jews, and thus making it easier for them to “convert,” I am concerned about the whole conversion to Judaism fad and how if they make it easy to convert to Judaism, their loyalty to Judaism, Zionism and Israel may be weak, and yet they or their children will be able to speak as Jews. One doesn’t value what is easily acquired. It’s also hard to become a US citizen, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Reform Judaism is very hostile to Israel recall and on some issues they persuade the other non-traditional branches to go with them.
That type of Judaism exists and that is fact whether the Haredim approve or not. Only in Israel is there restrictions of the freedom of Jewish practices. Who cares if Haredim are in revolt. How many serve in the IDF or work? Yet they want the state to give them monopolies on the business of religion.
I am simply for freedom of religion including for Jews in Israel.
@ BEAR-
I was referring to an eventual result of “homeopathic” Judaism…..
We already have “Chanukah bushes”, and “baigel and lox “Jews”. and “Humanistic” Jews, “Reconstructionist” Jews ( I suppose these are cement workers)
Then there are the Karaite, and Samaritan Jews but they are really Jews. I think there are even a few Shabtai T’zvi and Jakob Frank Jews hanging around….somewhere…maybe in the Amazon Basin.
And don’t forget the Black Hebrews, the Congo Jews, the Timbuktu Jews, and the Jews on top of the Himalayas…..
And..the BEST…the “Menashe” Jews
Anyway, I don’t like it….!!
@ BEAR- I wouldn’t ….if it happens we’ll see diluted Judaism Reform style more and more, and then like those quacks who took a med and watered it down 10,000 times.
That’s the kind of Judaism that would eventuate. And the Haredim would always be in perpetual revolt.
Once upon a time Jews were Jews.
Then there was something new; Reform Judaism. Because these two were in diametric opposition on so many issues, a middle ground emerged: Conservative Judaism. Then there arose nuances in these sects. Some orthodox rabbis held different (stricter) views than others and they became ultra orthodox. Within the conservative movement there is also a spectrum. It runs from almost orthodox I. e. separate seating, little English, to mixed (family) seating and more English. Besides these, there is the Reconstruction Movement which (I think) falls between orthodox and conservative or, perhaps between conservative and reform. I believe that, within each of these there is a spectrum so, rather than just four, a large Jewish neighbourhood might have six or more Shuls, synagogues and temples.
You may think this is silly, but it is not at all silly. A side benefit is that there are more possibilities to become a shul president, a gabba, a men’s club president, a ladies auxiliary president, and, course, Vice Presidents,, treasurers, secretaries,….
I support this move, too.
Tzohar Rabbis and conversions are orthodox! These are people who live in the modern world, are Zionists and not fanatics like some of the Haredim.
Far preferable to the current rigid system. I for my part would prefer a complete opening of conversions in Israel from all streams of Judaism.