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ISRAEL COURTS EXPANDS CONVERSION DEFINITION
by Josef Federman (AP), Newsday, March 31, 2005
Israel's Supreme Court agreed Thursday to recognize non-Orthodox conversions
to Judaism that are at least partly performed in Israel, giving a limited victory
to the Reform and Conservative Jewish movements, which had been marginalized by
the religious establishment here.
Under current practice, Israel recognizes only those conversions performed by
Orthodox rabbis inside Israel, although people converted by non-Orthodox rabbis
outside the country are eligible for citizenship under Israel's "Law of Return."
The court ruled on a case brought in 1999 by 17 foreigners who studied for Reform
or Conservative conversions in Israel but had the ceremonies performed abroad
in an attempt to get around the limitations. Israeli authorities objected to
their conversions, saying the Law of Return does not apply to foreigners already
living in Israel.
The ruling Thursday accepted the conversions, granting legal recognition to
those who study for conversions in Israel but go through the actual conversion
process abroad. The court did not rule on whether those who complete their conversions
in Israel would be recognized as Jews.
"It's a partial victory," said Rabbi Ehud Bandel, president of the
Masorti, or Conservative, movement in Israel.
Bandel had hoped the court would give blanket recognition to all non-Orthodox
conversions performed in Israel, though none of the petitioners had actually
converted in Israel.
The petitioners, however, were thrilled with the decisions and said the court
had seriously eroded the Orthodox monopoly on conversions.
"This is a great ruling. On one hand, all the petitioners received the
status of new immigrants, a status they have been waiting for over more than
eight years," Nicole Maor, a lawyer for the petitioners, told Israel Radio.
"Secondly, while this is limited to overseas conversions, the court ruled
emphatically that the government could not create a monopoly on conversions
here. If the they want a monopoly for Orthodox conversions, they have to legislate
it."
The conversion battle cuts to the heart of the identity of the Jewish state and
was being watched by Jews outside Israel, where the Reform and Conservative movements
are more widely accepted than they are here.
The Reform and Conservative leaders said a ruling in their favor would provide
an important stamp of approval for their movements.
The Reform and Conservative movements are the two largest streams of Judaism
in the United States, but they have been largely sidelined in Israel. The dominant
Orthodox establishment has a virtual monopoly over issues such as marriage,
divorce, and burial, as well as sizable budgets from the government for schools
and other programs.
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