Giyur Kehalacha

Giyur KeHalacha (also stylised Giyur K'Halacha[1]) is an Israeli-based organisation offering conversions outside of the state mandated Chief Rabbinate. It has elicited controversy around its desire to decentralise the conversion process and is associated with the Tzohar network of rabbis.[2] At present they have received wide support around the Jewish world.[2] but the Chief Rabbis are unwilling to accept their authority.[3]

Creation

The organisation was started by a series of rabbis who wanted to challenge the existing monopoly that the Chief Rabbinate had over conversions to Judaism. These included rabbis Seth Farber, Chuck Davidson[4] and Nahum Rabinovitch.[1]

The organisation soon grew with the addition of several high-profile rabbis, including rabbis David Stav, Slomo Riskin, Nahum Rabinovitch and Yisrael Rosen, amongst others.[5]

The organisation has continued to grow, and as of the beginning of 2019 there are more than 70 rabbis who are actively converting people, with a particular focus on children prior to their bar or bat mitzvah.[6]

Legality

In the Knesset, Elazar Stern[7] presented a bill to legalise an alternative path to conversions outside of the Chief Rabbinate, although significant opposition existed to the passing of the law from the Haredi political parties,[8] and their pressure was sufficient to prevent the bill passing into law. However, the status of the people converted by Giyur KeHalacha is a significant struggle today in Israel, with efforts, both legislative and legal, ongoing.[3][9]

These political-legal manoeuvrings are significant in Israel since Halacha is strongly entwined in the day to day running of the state,[10] and specifically the Chief Rabbinate, which controls the conversion process, and uses this power to decide who can get married, and who can be buried in a Jewish cemetery.[11]

Halacha

Giyur KeHalacha follows Orthodox Halacha, while easing some of the harsh restrictions of the large centralised beth dins.[12] In addition to Giyur KeHalacha there are other independent conversion courts, such as Ahavat HaGer.[13]

Controversy

The Chief Rabbinate courted significant controversy when they cancelled many of the conversions performed under the auspices of Giyur KeHalacha, or otherwise not accepting conversions done by the group.[14] This act has no basis in Halacha.[15][16] When the Supreme Court rejected the cancelling of conversions,[17] the ultra-Orthodox communities attempted to pass a new law to by-pass the courts.[18]

In Australia,[19] the local rabbis refused to accept the legitimate conversions performed through the Beth din of rabbi Yisrael Rosen, a member of Tzohar and Giyur Kehalacha.

References
  1. "In first, Israeli judge recognizes conversion to Judaism by private court". 13 September 2018. Giyur K’halacha’s rabbinical courts, which follow the precepts of Jewish law, were founded by Farber along with many of Modern Orthodoxy’s biggest names — Efrat’s Rabbi Shlomo Riskin; Rabbi Nachum Rabinovitch from Ma’ale Adumim; Rabbi Haim Amsalem; Otniel’s Rabbi Re’em HaCohen; head of the Tzohar rabbinical movement Rabbi David Stav; and Prof. Benjamin Ish-Shalom, the founder of the Israel Defense Force’s Nativ conversion program
  2. "About Giyur Ke'Halacha - גיור כהלכה". גיור כהלכה (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2017-09-15.
  3. "Israeli secular court to rule on Orthodox conversions". The Canadian Jewish News. 2015-11-14. Retrieved 2017-09-15.
  4. "The Conversion Blacklist - Bios". JOFA | Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance. 2017-07-14. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
  5. "Establishment of Private Jewish Conversion Court an Important Initiative for Israel and the Jewish People, ADL Says". Anti-Defamation League. Retrieved 2017-09-15.
  6. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5458400,00.html
  7. "Double Indemnity - Zionist Federation of Australia". Zionist Federation of Australia. 2015-08-16. Retrieved 2017-09-15.
  8. "Knesset moves to decentralize conversion to Judaism". Retrieved 2018-01-01.
  9. "Conversion, the Knesset and the Supreme Court". TZOHAR. 2016-06-09. Retrieved 2018-01-01.
  10. Levy, Gideon (2009-04-12). "A State Governed by Religious Law". Haaretz. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
  11. "Avi Weiss and The End Of The Chief Rabbinate | Matzav.com". matzav.com. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
  12. "A tolerant and traditional Jewish approach toward modernity". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2017-09-15.
  13. "Chuck Davidson, Author at My Jewish Learning". My Jewish Learning. Retrieved 2018-01-01.
  14. "Tzohar hits back against chief rabbinate, other critics in conversion imbroglio". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
  15. "Can Jewish conversions be annulled?". ThoughtCo. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
  16. Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah. pp. Siman 268.
  17. "Israeli Supreme Court rules state must accept non-Rabbinate Orthodox conversions". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  18. "Bill would end state recognition of private Orthodox conversions". Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  19. "Ark conversions rejected - The Australian Jewish News". The Australian Jewish News. 2017-08-10. Retrieved 2017-09-15.
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