The following appeared in the Jerusalem Post. Clink on the link for the full article.
Rabbis delay converts' marriages
Rabbis responsible for registering Jewish Israelis for marriage said Sunday they would not register converts for marriage until Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar issues a definitive rejection of a High Rabbinical Court decision that cast doubt on the validity of thousands of conversions.
"Before I can register a convert for marriage as a full-fledged Jew, I'll have to consult with Chief Rabbi Amar," said Rabbi Ratzon Arussi, chairman of the Rabbinate's Marriage Council.
Rabbis in Ramat Gan and Jerusalem concurred with Arussi's call.
"Rabbi Amar has to voice his opinion on this issue," said Ramat Gan Chief Rabbi Ya'acov Ariel. "He is the final authority on conversions."
[...]Several days after the decision was published, Amar issued a general statement that all conversion would be recognized. But Amar did not directly address the accusations raised by Sherman against Druckman.
Rabbis want Amar to issue a clear halachic decision on the status of conversions carried out by Druckman.
Amar's spokesman said the chief rabbi intends to convene the Chief Rabbinate's governing council to discuss the issue and reach a definitive decision. But before the council can be convened new elections must be called.
[...]
So far, Rabbi Amar has not issued any rulings that would undermine the authority any Batei Din on the issue of giyur (ie. the Mesechistic Lubavitcher who was denied conversion because of the belief that the Rebbe is Messiah).
ReplyDeleteFor Rabbi Amar to remove the authority of the Beit Din HaGadol of Israel would be akin to the President of the United States eliminating the Supreme Court.
The Beit Din Hagadol is part of a checks and balances system to the Office of the Chief Rabbinate.
When Rabbi Amar originally made the announcement regarding Diaspora conversions, some US Rabbis accused Rabbi Amar of trying to become the "Jewish Pope" (l'havdil).
It is my opinion that if Rabbi Amar WERE to overturn the Beit Din Hagadol's ruling this might lend credence to those accusations.
Jersey Girl says: "It is my opinion..."
ReplyDeleteIf you remain anonymous nobody cares what "your" opinions are because they are just comments on someone's private Blog.
Please get some perspective.
The identity of an opinion holder does not in any way affect the validity or correctness of an opinion.
ReplyDeleteBesides, you have expressed lots and lots of opinions in your posts, all of which have been extremely interesting. Are you offering to reveal yourself?
To "Bright Eyes" of May 13, 2008 1:32 AM: I was not offering anything beyond the regular glimpses of my wit behind the veil of online anonymity that we are all entitled to if we choose to do so, and I realize full well that I give my views, but there was something about Jesrey Girl's way of stating "It is my opinion..." that worried me that perhaps she was losing touch with the fact that as long as we remain anonymous we should not lose sight of the REALITY that we are just a bunch of anonymous posters whose comments get posted by the Blog owner, who in this case is not anonymous, Rabbi Dr. Eidensohn, and so that therefore it would be foolish to take on undue self-importance.
ReplyDeleteAnonymity should PREFERABLY also go hand in hand with humility, as in "harotzeh be'ilum shemo" or in "matan beseser".
RaPs:
ReplyDeleteI am sorry that you find the use of "it is my opinion" to be a lack of humility. It is my opinion that it is the opposite.
I write proposals and reports etc in my profession that are assumed to be based upon the research of highly qualified and citable sources.
Whenever one in my field does not have a credible source to cite, it is customary to preface the statement by "it is my opinion" as a "CYA".