Religious Pluralism At Risk in Israel

The Rotem Bill

As a result of Israel’s complicated internal politics, which gives a disproportionate amount of power to ultra-Orthodox groups, a bill that would give the chief rabbinate complete control over conversion and the decision about who is a Jew – a bill that would be a disaster – has passed its first reading. A six-month freeze took effect on July 23, 2010, but it is critical that opposition voices continue to be heard.

This bill – known as the Rotem bill after its shepherd, MK David Rotem, already is causing huge divisions in the Jewish world, although it is bringing the liberal streams – Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist – and the federation system together to fight it. If it is passed, it would cause severe harm, alienating even more Jews from Israel.

Read More

American Jewish leader: Israel is Trying to Delegitimize Liberal Judaism, Haaretz, Natasha Mozgovaya, July 12, 2010

Israel: Overhaul The Conversion Process, Jewish Week, July 13, 2010

Opponents Alarmed as Israeli Conversion Bill Moves Ahead, JTA, Jacob Berkman, July 13, 2010

Fresh Anger From Diaspora Over Bill On Conversions, Jewish Week,  Gary Rosenblatt, July 14, 2010

Role Reversals in Conversion Fight, JTA,  Jacob Berkman, July 15, 2010

Gauging US Upset Over The Conversion Bill, JTA, July 19, 2010

Netanyahu brokers six-month freeze on conversion bill, Jewish Week, July 23, 2010

Take Action

We urge you to write to Prime Minister Netanyahu, who so far has given tacit approval to the haredim while keeping his hands clean. His support is crucial.

Roly, Marcelo, Felicia, and Ari

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  6. To be Jewish according to the standards of halacha (Jewish Law), one must either be born to a Jewish woman or go through a conversion process. We celebrate the diversity of our community at B'nai Jeshurun, and acknowledge that every family is different. While it is not a requirement that children be halachically Jewish to enroll in the Hebrew school, it is a requirement that children be halachically Jewish in order to become a bar or bat mitzvah at BJ. Help us look ahead together by indicating which choice applies to your child.
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  6. To be Jewish according to the standards of halacha (Jewish Law), one must either be born to a Jewish woman or go through a conversion process. We celebrate the diversity of our community at B'nai Jeshurun, and acknowledge that every family is different. While it is not a requirement that children be halachically Jewish to enroll in the Hebrew school, it is a requirement that children be halachically Jewish in order to become a bar or bat mitzvah at BJ. Help us look ahead together by indicating which choice applies to your child.
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  27. To be Jewish according to the standards of halacha (Jewish Law), one must either be born to a Jewish woman or go through a conversion process. We celebrate the diversity of our community at B'nai Jeshurun, and acknowledge that every family is different. While it is not a requirement that children be halachically Jewish to enroll in the Hebrew school, it is a requirement that children be halachically Jewish in order to become a bar or bat mitzvah at BJ. Help us look ahead together by indicating which choice applies to your child.
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cforms contact form by delicious:days

You may use the form above to send the sample message we’ve included below directly to the Prime Minister, or you can write your own message in its place.

If you prefer you can send an email to Prime Minister Netanyahu at pm_eng2@pmo.gov.il from your own email address or fax your message to (011) 972-2-566 48.

Here is the sample letter contained in the form above:

Dear Prime Minister Netanyahu:

As an American Jew and committed Zionist, I urge that you intervene immediately to keep the conversion legislation sponsored by MK David Rotem from passing.

I am deeply concerned about the bill’s intent to grant the chief rabbinate sole control over conversion in Israel.  Such legislation would be an open attack on the legitimacy of non-Orthodox Jewry; while as you know about 85 percent of Jews across the world are not Orthodox.

While I support the bill’s effort to increase the accessibility of conversion courts in Israel, the overall impact of the Rotem bill will set back these efforts. Should this bill be enacted, it will exacerbate a widening gap between the Diaspora and Israeli Jewish communities, even though close relations are more important now than they ever have been before.

I urge you to intervene and seek the immediate withdrawal of this bill.

Sincerely,