Jewish Agency adopts conversion resolutions

By JTA Staff · November 16, 2008

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- The Jewish Agency Assembly adopted resolutions calling on the Israeli government to establish an independent authority on Jewish conversions and special courts of Jewish law to "allow the conversion process to move forward."

The twin resolutions were adopted by the world body Sunday after heated debate and a crossfire of amendments and counter-amendments. The issue has long aroused the ire of Diaspora Jews, who have long been upset at the refusal of Israel’s Orthodox religious authorities to recognize conversions performed by rabbis in the Diaspora.

The assembly defeated a stronger resolution, submitted by delegates from Los Angeles, that would have called on the Israeli government to "recognize and accept as Jews" all those converted under the supervision of rabbis from the four major Jewish religious movements, as well as those from "other religious streams of Judaism."

Professor Ya’acov Ne’eman, who has been appointed by successive Israeli governments to resolve the controversial issue, had threatened to quit if the stronger resolution was adopted.

One of the adopted resolutions cited "a deep crisis within the conversion process" brought on by the arrival in Israel of some 300,000 new immigrants not considered Jewish by the Orthodox religious establishment. It calls on the government to establish Jewish religious courts that "will base themselves on appropriate moderate and tolerant prior halachic decisions to allow the conversion process to move forward."

Noting that Israel’s Supreme Court already has recognized "conversions by the different streams of Judaism for civil matters," the other resolution calls on the government to "establish immediately an independent conversion authority to resolve and deal with the conversion issue."