Yid By Choice

Laws to Reform Marriage, Conversion

(IsraelNN.com) The Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) party is preparing two laws that, if passed, would have a significant impact on marriage and conversion among Israelis with no religious affiliation. One would create a civil marriage option, while the other would ease the conversion process by city rabbis to perform conversions.

It would be great if there was an option to work with a local rabbi for conversion. It is also a very good idea to stop retroactively “de-converting” someone.

I initially wrote about the issue of invalidation conversions in Israel here and here.

It has come to light that there is a “secret code” for those converts who get a divorce. It appears that the rabbinical courts are using a code that invalidates (or attempts to invalidate) conversions. Many divorcees do not even realize this is an issue that will affect themselves and their children/grandchildren.

The Secret Code of Repealed Conversions

[Rabbi and attorney Shimon Yaakobi] claims that while exercising their jurisdiction over marriage and divorce, the rabbinic courts of Israel,can question the validity of a conversion and determine that is was a mistake.

[snip]

Yaakobi brings statistics to claim that of the 1,313 converts who were divorced between the years 1996-2008, 1,276 are referred to as “converts” in the Act of Court and all the rest are referred to as “daughters/sons of Avraham our Forefather.” These people might not know it, but they already have one foot out the door. These things are scandalous and remind me of grim times indeed.

Of course, now there are people stating that conversions should just be stopped. Is this really the way to go? This is just as bad an idea since it punishes those of use who are sincere, righteous converts.

Why Orthodox Rabbis Must Stop Conversions

As the debate goes to the core of identifying who is a legitimate member of the Jewish faith, and as all Jewish people, without exceptions, are one entity, like one body with one heart and one soul, then the tragedy of this schism affects the totality of the Jewish people.

[snip]

When the root of the problem, however, affects the totality of Judaism, then a common denominator must be established. Either there is one standard of conversion acceptable by all or, in the more likely event of this never occurring, a cessation of all conversion process henceforth.

I initially wrote about the issue of invalidation conversions in Israel here.

There are now other voices asserting (what I had always believed/knew) that once a conversion is completed with the proper bet din, that conversion cannot be invalidated by someone else.

(IsraelNN.com) Rabbi Amsalem said that conversions made by Rabbinical courts headed by Rabbi Haim Druckman, which several Hareidi rabbis sought to cancel, could not be revoked, based on traditional Jewish sources.

Read the rest.

People who are insincere enough to return to their former religion (or non-religion) after a conversion to Judaism make me very angry and frustrated! These people make those of use who are sincere converts look like frauds and make life even more difficult for us.

Legal Opinion: Rabbinical Court Can Invalidate Conversion

(IsraelNN.com) Counsel for the Rabbinical Court System, Rabbi Atty. Shimon Yaakobi, determined in a formal legal opinion that rabbinical courts have the authority to rule on the validity of conversions to Judaism, provided that the conversion issue is raised in the context of marriage or divorce proceedings. In Israel, marriage and divorce matters fall under the jurisdiction of the relevant religious courts.

[snip]

Under Jewish law, as Yaakobi detailed, fraudulent conversions can be declared in the case of a convert who returns to his or her former lifestyle or rejects Judaic law shortly after the conversion. In such a case, even when the convert was deemed sincere at the time of conversion by a rabbinical conversion court, the legal status of the individual becomes, at best, questionable. Therefore, the person may be required to obtain a formal Jewish bill of divorce on the one hand, but may not be allowed to marry a Jew on the other.

Ilana has been living a double life in Israel. Though her first visit was as a Catholic, she ultimately decided to convert to Judaism, and following her conversion in Italy in 2006, she moved to Israel. Incredibly, despite the fact that the (Orthodox) Chief Rabbinate certifies her conversion, the civil organs of the State of Israel continue to deny her basic rights as a citizen. [read the rest of the article]

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Is this really true? Generally it is the other way around – the civil authorities will accept someone but the Orthodox Rabbinate will not. Is it just me or does it seem as if (some) of the Orthodox Rabbinate in Israel not want converts at all?!

(IsraelNN.com) In a powerful echo of the Biblical story of the patriarch Abraham, a Mumbai doctor smashed his father’s idols and eventually decided to become a Jew in the Land of Israel. [rest of the story]

(IsraelNN.com) The Ministry of Immigration and Absorption reports success in recruiting religious-Zionist families to “accompany” would-be converts, but still needs another 2,000. [rest of the story]

This is a great cause and is very much needed in the State of Israel. An “adoptive family” makes conversion a lot easier and a lot of the mitzvot and Jewish life issues are made easier to understand.

Here is part of another letter that I sent recently. I am not sure what we as Jews could do to help get the information out about Righteous Gentiles? We are to be a “light unto the nations” yet we are falling down on the job! What are your suggestions?

I converted to Judaism nine years ago and I have set up a website to assist others in their journeys as well. Lately I have been receiving multiple e-mails regarding the conversion process. I have given those who e-mail me general information and assistance in finding a Jewish community. I also let them know that if conversion is not right for them that the option of being a Torah-observant Righteous Gentile is always there for them. The problem is that I have heard back from many who have never heard of the Righteous Gentiles.

How do I as an individual, and we as a Nation get the information about Righteous Gentiles out there to the world? What else can we do that we are already not doing?

This is a letter that I wrote to Jeremy Gimpel and Rabbi Tovia Singer from Israel National Radio last week. I just thought I would share it with you.

_________________________________________________________

Jeremy and Rabbi Tovia,

I have been listening with great interest to the podcasts of your shows for the last couple of weeks. I can sympathize with many who have left xianity behind and embraced Hashem. I want to share a little of my background and travels through the world of spirituality and religion.

I was born into a Southern Baptist home where I was reared as a good xian who believed that J* loved me and I was to be totally devoted to him. I was baptized at age 10 with the full belief that if I didn�t get baptized, I would burn in �hell� forever. By the age of 12 however, I was beginning to ask questions about the theology of the church. Of course, in Evangelical xianity, one does not ask probing questions. So, I often ran afoul of the church. By the age of 14 I had emotionally left the church even though I was physically attending church and called myself a xian. I completely left the church at 16 never to return � yet still calling myself a xian.

In my twenties I was going through some tough times and I began to deny that G-d existed. I do not know if I could call myself a true atheist but I was, at the very least, an agnostic who did not care whether or not G-d existed. By my late twenties, I began to feel that something was missing in my life and I decided that I would search out G-d and the true path that would lead me to Him. I began researching Eastern religions (Hinduism, Daoism, and Buddhism) but I rejected them all because G-d was not in the equation and/or due to idolatrous beliefs. I then looked into xianity. I was most enamored with Roman Catholicism and Russian Orthodox. However, the more I studied and learned the �old testament�, the more I came to believe that Christianity was nothing but lies and pagan beliefs. I then studied Baha�i and Islam. I believe they were both closer to the truth and they are both strictly monotheistic but they were not belief systems that I could become involved in. So, that left Judaism. As I studied Judaism, I found that it truly was the path to G-d and I sought out a rabbi to begin the conversion process. After six years of searching, two years of studying Judaism, and a move across the country, I finished my conversion in August, 2000.

I am still angry that I was lied to for so many years. I am still angry that xianity was drilled into me in my formative years. It was a struggle to leave it behind because of the fear that is used to keep one in check with the church. Of course, I knew my parents would be very unhappy about my decision. I was told by my parents that I was �going to hell� because of this decision. After this many years, we just simply do not talk about it.

Xianity rules by lies, manipulation, coercion, guilt, and fear. The ultimate fear of burning in �hell� forever is a formidable barrier to people exploring and leaving xianity. To be honest, there are still times when I think that maybe I rolled the dice wrong and I will burn in �hell� forever. This is how deep the fear and manipulation of the church runs in someone like myself who grew up in the church from a very early age. I praise all those who explore and take the step to remove themselves from xiantiy.

May Hashem bless you both and all the good people at INR.

What do I classify myself as? Well, first of all I classify myself as a Jew. Second, I classify myself as someone who follows Judaism. Third, I classify myself as a Conservative Jew. So, really what do these labels mean to me?

Calling myself a “Jew” in the modern meaning of the term is something that is a source of pride for me. However, I am not a “Jew” in the real sense of the term. I am not from the tribe of Judah and I do not have a biological tie to anyone from the Kingdom of Judah. Therefore, can I call myself a Jew? I would rather classify myself as a Ivri (Hebrew – literally “from the other side”).� Abraham was called an Ivri for two reasons: 1) he literally crossed from the other side of the river/land into Eretz Yisrael and 2) he stood opposite others who were polytheists. I would therefore classify myself as an Ivri – one who is “from the other side”. I think this is an excellent classification for me since I am a convert from a polythiestic religion (Trinitarian Christianity) to the monotheistic faith of Abraham.

Calling myself a follower of “Judaism” is also problematic. Judaism was a term given to the Jews by outsiders who called the faith of the Yehudim (those in the Kingdom of Judah) “Yehudidism” – the faith of the Yehudim. Okay, so technically this can be considered correct. However, I do not follow a man-made religion I follow Torah. Therefore, I would classify myself as one who follows Torah and the Creator.

I converted through a Conservative bet din. Therefore, I am a “Conservative Jew” but I do not think this really fits my definition of myself either. I do not consider myself part of the Conservative Movement simply because I think it has disassociated itself from the Torah, Klal Yisrael, Eretz Yisrael, halachah, and Hashem. Okay, so why don’t I re-convert? Well, that option is still on the table but that is for another discussion. Right now I would consider myself a right-learning, Sephardi/Mizrachi-leaning Masorti Jew. I believe that the Masorti Movement is much closer to the truth and has not completely turned its back on everything that the Conservative Movement has (as mentioned above).

So, what am I? I am an Masorti Ivri who follows Torah and Hashem.