New York – Not a week passes in the Jewish media without a reference to it. Acres of print are devoted to its analysis. Diverse stories all boil down to one question. Who is a Jew?
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In Israel, a religious court has ruled that conversions performed by the head of the conversion authority are not halachically valid, leaving people who thought they were Jewish in limbo. In London, children are barred from a Jewish school because, despite having Jewish fathers, their mothers did not convert halachically — so they are not Jewish. A new scheme has opened for young Russian Israelis doing their army service, offering a quickie six-month Jewish conversion. The Jews of Britain are increasing in number, we’re told, or maybe not — depending on who is counted as Jewish.
It’s the “Who is a Jew” thing again and again — the old-wine-in-new-bottles arguments. And yet — it is so simple, so very simple.
You are Jewish if your mother is Jewish. It doesn’t matter about your father — he can be Buddhist, Afro-Caribbean or Saudi-Arabian; it makes not a jot of difference to your Jewish status. You’re Jewish if your mother is Jewish or if you converted to Judaism according to the halachah. If you did it any other way, you’re not a Jew. I know that’s upsetting to read, and hideously unfair on the children who suffer the consequences of their parents’ folly. But I didn’t make this up.
It’s actually amazingly simple, really. Now, if you want to make a succah, there are dozens of laws telling you what is and isn’t kosher. The light through the roof has to be just so; the height and the number of walls — even your intention when building the succah is taken into account.
But one of the defining principles of Judaism is glaringly easy. You’re a Jew through matrilineal descent or halachic conversion. And there is no other way. Yes, it’s hard; it takes time and dedication and a quantum leap in lifestyle. But it depends how dedicated you really are.
The halachah is what it’s all about. Make no mistake: Reform, progressive, Conservative, Masorti, reconstructionist — these man-made groups operate a pick-’n’-mix style halachah more akin to “Jewish-style” food: it looks and smells like the real thing, but it isn’t. Without the halachah, it is impossible to be Jewish.
Real converts know the score — you don’t become Jewish by passing a year’s diploma. Woody Allen joked that he’d done two years of a three-year black-studies course. “If I’d done the extra year,” he said, “I’d be black by now.”
No matter who tells you to the contrary, you are not going to be counted as a Jew unless you do it properly. If you take the one-year “Jew-Maker Lite” programme, then the only ones who will call you a Jew are the makers of the programme. I hear these euphemisms today: “She’s half-Jewish,” they say. Half-Jewish? That’s like being half-pregnant. You’re either pregnant or you’re not.
The Reform experiment of “Grow-Your-Own-Jews” has utterly failed on its own terms as well. Instead of producing hundreds of reformed Jews, according to the latest American Conservative figures, they have produced a generation of grandchildren who in the majority assimilate or marry out.
It’s time that reformist movements stopped looking for Jews to recognise their new religions and for themselves to recognise that they are Jews if their mothers are — not by their own non-halachic conversions, or the say-so of an official who presides over same-gender marriages.
Legitimate converts should sue the reformed and conservative movements for fraud.
I have actually heard Reformists argue that their converts are Jewish “because Hitler Y”S would have considered them Jewish.” I said to them, “So you made Hitler Y”S your Rabbi?”
who is the idiot who wrote this drivel?
the main issue in israel now is actually over conversions that were halachically sancioned and then later on suddenly and erroneously ruled invalid. the peopel upset have a right to be upset as more than anything they are victims of politics and those from the haredi world trying to ruin the rabbanut. (the frum, orthodox halachic rabbanut)
As far as everyone else, the writer must understand that these are PEOPLE who are also an oynes – they have been born into something. when they are born into something and dont know any better and WANT to be identified as jewish , they very last thing we should be doing is shutting them away. stupid.
9:47,
good keep fighting with other people who want to be jewish. that really helps, bravo to you “mi kiamcha yisraoyel”!!!
I feel sorry for those who were converted improperly and think they are Jewish, but, if they are really sincere about their Yiddishkeit, they can go to an accepted rov and convert properly again. The problem is the status of their children. I think each case has to be handled individually and deliberated very well, to determine if the geirus was genuine or not.
this article is utter nonsense. the problems going on now for converts in israel have NOTHING to do with reform, conservative, etc. conversions. the conversions in question were all done by ORTHODOX rabbis under the auspices of the national (ORTHODOX) conversion authority in israel. there would not have been anywhere near the same outcry if the issue was with conservative or reform conversions, since they have never been accepted to begin with(as far as i know) in israel.
the writer of this article puts his/her ignorance on display over and over again by repeating how “simple” the whole conversion process is. according to the author the only valid way to convert is to do so ‘halachically.’ the writer erroneously portrays this ‘halachic’ standard as one which no one has ever (or will ever) have a difference of opinion on regarding even the most minute of details.
but who defines what this ‘halachic’ standard is? the author insinuates that there is no difference of opinion on this matter – you either do it the right way (whichever way the author of this article feels is correct), or else your conversion is totally invalid.
taking this approach to its logical conclusions, the author is basically asserting that there is only one right way to keep halacha. there is only one correct opinion, and anyone else who doesn’t follow that one opinion is sinning. so, for instance, if i make havdalah before 72 minutes, i must be mechalel shabbos right? since there is only one correct halachic position (just like there is only one halachic way to convert), anyone who does not follow this position is a sinner.
i would suggest that the writer of this article open a blatt gemoro or read a siman of shulchan aruch. both are full of halachic disagreements on virtually every aspect of halacha (yes, even geirus). unless your concept of what halacha is no more sophisticated than taking a quick look at the kitzur shulchan aruch, any jew should be able to realize that there is generally always more than one HALACHICALLY VALID way to keep halacha. geirus included. otherwise, anyone who does not follow every last p’sak that your rav gives you should be a sinner in your eyes (perhaps this is the way you do look at others).
the writer of this article needs to get his/her head out of the sand, maybe learn a bit more, and realize that just because someone doesn’t hold like you or your rebbe doesn’t mean that their position is any less halachically valid than yours. the amoraim in shas who argued with each other over almost every detail in halacha (rav & shmuel, rav yochanan & reish lakish) had the UTMOST respect for one another. each one recognized the other’s opinion as equally valid as their own. perhaps you should try doing the same.
06-15-2008 – 9:56 AM
The Charedim are not interested in “ruining” the Rabbanut. Your comment is a silly, Jew-hating rant.
The Rabbanut is an institution of a tzioni, Jew-hating state. There are B”H good rabbis but they have many external pressures. Mark one up for the Rabbanut this time that they had the kechus to do what is right and investigate and then mivatel these fraduluent gerisin.
These conversions were a shambles. Anybody who sincerely wanted to be a Yid could have easily seen the lies and the misconduct by many people participating in this conversion factory.
The article is quite correct. There’s only two ways to be Jewish. If you really want to be a ger tzedek, you will not be satisfied with conversion factories, sheker, or anything but emes. If not, good riddance. “Wanting to be identified as Jewish” is exactly the silly like the article talked about. That doesn’t make you a Jew.
Regarding those who were born into a non-Jewish status but want to consider themselves Jewish…
Welcome to the club of bastards [literally] … there is nothing that can be done to change the reality.
Is there a quicky-conversion for a bastard to be legitimized?
Then again, if societal morality has become so watered down perhaps legitimacy is no longer required, one could even run for president of the USA feeling no shame about parents’ folly?
Anon
yitzchokm:59
yitzchokm:59?
good keep fighting with other people who want to be jewish.
————————————–
I was not arguing with another person who wants to be Jewish, I was arguing with a Jewish person over the determining criteria of Mihu Yehudi. This idiot kept insisting that the Nuremburg Laws should be the criteria, not Torah. What would you say to such a person, O Great Chacham Anon
its time for sefer yochsin and the rest who cares should they be considerd erev rav
“The Charedim are not interested in “ruining” the Rabbanut. Your comment is a silly, Jew-hating rant.”
How is that Jew Hating? your comment doesnt even make any sense.
And yes, there is a certain segment in Israel that has been trying many different ways to ruin the only good halachic rabbinic voice in the establishment of israel by continuously undermining the Rabbanut.
“Mark one up for the Rabbanut this time that they had the kechus to do what is right and investigate and then mivatel these fraduluent gerisin.
These conversions were a shambles. Anybody who sincerely wanted to be a Yid could have easily seen the lies and the misconduct by many people participating in this conversion factory. ”
Tipish! We are talking about ORTHODOX FRUM conversions that have been mevatel! YOU KNOW? You think you can judge the people who beleived they were good and valid? what about the rabbanim who still say they are? who the heck are you?
Get a life.
Bbishka,
I would say “welcome my brother” and not undermine his determination to save my life or have me save his in our common fight against an enemy that hates us both. i certainly wouldnt undermine his faith just because i was fortunate enough to have been born into a religious family and he wasn’t.
And maybe someday he would have a grandson sitting yeshiva next to mine, or yours.
These were all conversions under Orthodox auspices. To talk about the reform is a red-herring.
This is about a beit din that didn’t even call one side to testify but gave a ruling anyway about a question it had never been authorized to consider in the first place.
This is about haredi rabbis using the Chief Rabbinate that has gradually come under their control as a cheap political tool.
These were not frum conversions, by definition. The Rabbanut is a middle-of-the-road, inclusive Rabbanut (necessarily catering to all kahalot) RUN BY THE GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL AND ACCOUNTABLE TO IT! This was State-sponsored. All the talk about “Orthodox” is a smokescreen. Orthodox smorthodox.
Anybody who is serious about a kosher giyor should go to a real beis din, not a conversion factory run by the State of Israel.
Even if they were people involved in the program who were besder, there have been documented cases of people who did not accept mitzvos from the beginning and other people in these programs witnessed it. All this was visible at the outset. Those conversions are treyf and they treyfed up anything else that could have been kosher. All you people who want to call goyim Jews, shame on you. We don’t rely on the state to tell us who’s a Yid. If you hate the charedim, you hate Jews. You pick-and-choose JINOS don’t stand for anything.
“what about the rabbanim who still say they are?”
There are bigger and more reliable rabbonim who say they aren’t. Case closed.
Don’t go away mad. Just go away.
Anon
admin:46PM
I don’t know what you are talking about. The person I conversed with (and it was several years ago) insisted that the “Nuremburg Laws” should override all halachos, because “if they could die as Jews, they should live as Jews!”
When I pointed out to this person that the population segment he was talking about, not only were never included in the “Nuremburg Laws” but they were not even alive at the the time the “Nuremberg Laws” were applied to a specific segment of the population.
What would you say? The “Nuremburg Laws” are not halachah, never were halachah, and never should be applied as halachah!
Anon 3:15
you are so uninformed it is sad.
You would never have the chutzpah to get up and say your misinformed drivel in front of MaRan Harav Hagaon Hatzaddik Rav Yirael Meir Lau, shlita
We all belong to the same faith. Stop belittling the way I live. I’m an ethical, moral Jew, even if I don’t wear black from head to toe, and make my women sit in the back of the bus.
This article annoyed me when it was published in the Jewish Chronicle, and it still annoys me here. On the same week that we read Megillat Ruth, where a Moabite is acepted as a wife for Boaz without any hint of ‘halachic’ conversion but on the basis of a true desire to be a partr of the Jewish people, Charles Golding would have us believe that there is only one halachic standard that everyone must accept! Nonsense – he just shows his lack of knowledge of the halachic process.
And what difference does it make if someone converts by a less-stringent process in line with halachah – circumcision, mikveh etc. If they are sincere they’ll become committed Jews, and if not sincere, they’ll be less committed, they might even (re) assimilate, but so what – has Judaism lost out by this or has it registered a possible gain? Does it matter if some people call themselves Jews? If they do good, love their fellow man and observe a few mitzvot, that seems a gain to me.
Golding is right on the money. Finally someone with the courage to write the truth in a major non-religious Jewish newspaper–that Reform and Conservative are frauds, and indeed, any Ortho rabbi who does not convert according to halacha is also behaving fraudulently. If someone jumps through hoops to become a ger, we welcome him, but if he’s looking for an easy way out, quickie conversion, or conversion in name only (no shmiras hamitzvos) then halacha is not interested in him.