The International Committee on Giyur, founded by the late Rabbi Chaim Kreiswirth, Chief Rabbi of Antwerp, has issued a strong letter of support for the decision by the Rabbinical Supreme Court of the Chief Rabbinate invalidating all conversions performed since 1999 by Rabbi Chaim Drukman, the head of the Conversion Authority. The Committee, which is headed by Rabbi Nachum Eisenstein, said that only converts that “accept mitzvos at the time of giyur” may be considered halachacially converted. It noted that “even if it becomes clear that the ger did not accept mitzvos at the time of giyur and subsequently did observe mitzvos, the conversion is invalid.”
[...]
The Eternal Jewish Family (EJF) in a statement said that the large number of conversions that were recently ruled invalid by the Rabbinical Supreme Court is “further proof of the urgency of adopting universal conversion standards that are based on the opinions of major halachic authorities.” EJF is the leading international organization that has been in the forefront of promulgating universal conversion standards in intermarriage under the guidance of leading Gedolei Hatorah in the US and Israel.
[...]
The Eternal Jewish Family (EJF) in a statement said that the large number of conversions that were recently ruled invalid by the Rabbinical Supreme Court is “further proof of the urgency of adopting universal conversion standards that are based on the opinions of major halachic authorities.” EJF is the leading international organization that has been in the forefront of promulgating universal conversion standards in intermarriage under the guidance of leading Gedolei Hatorah in the US and Israel.
Is it fair to say that you and EJF are on the same page on this one?
ReplyDeleteNow Rabbi Tropper chimes in.
ReplyDeleteSince when is he the one to decide what "rabbinic organizations" can say about Batei Din?
This shows yet again, that Rabbi Tropper only wishes to degrade, denigrate and destroy any vestige of respect for all Modern Orthodox and Religious Zionist rabbis and Batei Din, such as the RCA and most of the Israeli Chief Rabbinate.
Rabbi Tropper's own EJF approved Batei Din were warned by Rav Shternbuch and the BADATZ NOT to do the very thing he calims that he is now opposed to (they were "Recipients" of official letters and it should get "Publicity") -- such outright HYPOCRISY -- it is sickening to watch, does he think people are dummies and don't see through his own self-promoting shtik?
This has also been one of Rabbi Nachum Eisenstein's goals and trgically their hard-ball, confrontational and war-like attitude will only make the cycle of rejection and confrontation between Religious Zionist/Modern Orthodox Jews with Charedi/Chasidic Jews worsen at a time when there should be an attempt at more and not less unity between all Orthodox denominations.
The RCA, an organization which is comprised of nearly 1000 mostly modern Orthodox Rabbis has agreed to adopt the GPS program (Geirus) which is in according to recommendations of the Israeli Rabbinute.
ReplyDeleteThe RCA's new standards conform to the standards of the Israeli Rabbinute and ARE the standards of ALL Orthodox Jews throughout the world.
I am disturbed when I read words like "hard ball, confrontational, war-like etc" to describe a situuation between RZ/MO and "Charedim" that does not seem to exist in reality.
It seems that there are those who would like to start up a "war" or "confrontation" that will cause additional divisiveness among the Jewish people perhaps in order to forward their own causes of "Divide and conquer"
The REALITY is that the RCA, which introduces itself and its members as follows:
Rabbis from Yeshiva University and RIETS in New York, Beth Medrash L'Torah in Chicago, The Beth Din of America, The Orthodox Union (of which it is the rabbinic authority), The Chief Rabbinate of Israel, various Israeli governmental agencies and offices, the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, the Religious Zionists of America, the World Jewish Congress, the Jewish Welfare Board, the Memorial Foundation, and a variety of rabbinic groups and organizations, including Chief Rabbinates, all around the world.
represents Modern Orthodox, Religious Zionists and ALL Orthodox Jews in the US and WHOSE MEMBERSHIP HAS ADOPTED the policies and procedures for Geirus as recommended by the Office of the Chief Rabbinate.
There are NOT the conflicts here that some would like to promote.
Here are some excerpts from a very anti Semitic website that promotes conversion to Judaism by Christians in order that they might neutralize the Jewish impact in the US. Other Christian websites promote conversion to Judaism in order to better evangelize Jews
http://www.realjewnews.com/?p=133
HOW DO WE STOP THE JEWISH CONTROL OF AMERICA?
* Convert to Judaism and be part of the Single-Party political system in America.
* Convert to Judaism and be part of the Jewish-Takeover of former Christian America.
The increased number of converts to Judaism from Christianity in recent years is NOT for the love of Judaism and the Jewish people, it is due to the ultimate form of Anti Semitism and the goal is to destroy us from within.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteIs it fair to say that you and EJF are on the same page on this one?
==========================
Good question - but I really don't know from their press release what their position is. It seems just to say - we are the solution.
I posted it simply because it is relevant to the issue and it signifies nothing more than that
Rav Tropper is on whatever side is winning.
ReplyDeleteJewish social commentator, Robert Zimmerman wrote about it in his 1965 work, "Positively 4th Street".
Jersey Girl, sometimes I wonder if you read EVERYTHING that Rabbi Eidensohn writes.
ReplyDeleteYou insist on flying off with your nisht-tzum-zach tangents about Christian missionaries infiltrating Orthodoxy when that is just not the real name of the real game. Sure the missionaries are trying to infiltrate every place and organization they can, that is why they are "missionaries" because they are out on a "mission" to "missionize" -- but sorry to prick your bubble, you are barking up the wrong tree because the main battle lines in the "GEIRUS WARS" are between the different schools of thought within the broad world of ORTHODOX Judaism, which is something that Rabbi Eidensohn clearly grasps as you can see from his latest post:
"Conversion crisis - Zionist ideolgy and Halacha II
As mentioned in a previous post - the current dispute is not so much political as ideological. In other words it is not simply the result of people seeking out power over others for the sake of power. It is also not a conflict between those who are modern, moderate and involved in the world versus those who are reactionary and out of touch with reality. It is not even a dispute about halacha per se. The Religious Zionism poskim are fully aware of the halachic views and sources that concern the Chareidi poskim. [I am not concerning myself with the ignorant masses and politicians who have a distorted or no knowledge or interest in the halachic issues.]
The prime dispute is whether the halacha should be used to advance the goals of Zionism or not. I will be publishing a number of posts which illustrate these points by citing recognized Religious Zionist rabbis."
Note the quote: "The prime dispute is whether the halacha should be used to advance the goals of ZIONISM or not"!!!!!!!
Rabbi Eidensohn is far more on the mark in terms where the "eye of the storm" is here and I would say that he is only humoring you by allowing you to get carried away with your "Christian missionaries" alarm bells, which while they are valid, they are not what the current "machlokes" between Rabbis Druckman/Lichtenstein/RCA rabbis on one side and Rabbis Atiah/Sherman/BADATZ rabbis on the other with Rabbi Amar and the Israeli Chief Rabbinate caught in the crossfire.
Dear RaP:
ReplyDeleteA brief history of Zionism:
One of the first scholars to put forth the view that the Jews should be restored to the land of Israel was Francis Kett, who in 1585, published a book originated "the notion of Jewish national return to Palestine."
In the 1600s, a flurry of books advocating Jewish restoration to their land began to appear. Thomas Draxe released in 1608 The Worldes Resurrection: On the general calling of the Jews. Draxe argued for Israel's restoration based upon his Calvinism and Covenant Theology.
Two great giants of this era were Thomas Brightman (1552-1607) and Joseph Mede (1586-1638) who both wrote boldly of a future restoration of Israel.
A key proponent in the Christian movement for Israel's restoration as a Jewish homeland was Henry Finch (1558-1625) who wrote a seminal work on the subject called The World's Resurrection or The Calling of the Jewes. Finch, at the time of the publication of his book was one of the most highly respected Christian scholars in England at the time.
The doctrine of the restoration of the Jewish homeland continued to be expounded in England, evolving according to the insight of each exponent, and finally playing a role in Christian Zionistic activities in the latter part of the nineteenth and in the first of the twentieth centuries.
One of the standout advocates of the restoration doctrine was Increase Mather (1639-1723), the son of Richard and the father of Cotton. Increase Mather wrote over 100 books in his life. His first work was The Mystery of Israel's Salvation, which went through many revisions during his life. His support of the national restoration of Israel to her land was typical of American Colonial Puritans and was generally widespread.
From the earliest times, American Christianity has always tilted toward support of the restoration of national Israel in the Holy Land.
But perhaps one of the most outstanding examples of a Christian Zionist is that of William Blackstone (1841-1935).
Blackstone became very interested in what the Bible had to say about Israel. Like many Christians with similar interests, this led Blackstone to evangelize Jewish people with the Gospel. He founded in 1887 the Chicago Hebrew Mission for the evangelization of the Jews. Other than writing the best-selling book Jesus Is Coming in 1908, he is best known for his tireless work on behalf of reestablishing the Jewish nation in Israel. In 1891, he obtained the signatures of 413 prominent Americans and sent this document to President Benjamin Harrison advocating the resettlement of persecuted Jews in Russia to a new homeland in what was then called Palestine.
Blackstone later made a similar appeal to President Woodrow Wilson that influenced his acceptance of the Balfour Declaration of 1917.
Today in Israel there is a forest named the "Blackstone Forest" in his honor.
The modern Jewish founder of Zionism is recognized to have been Theodor Herzl. His earliest and closest advisor just happened to have been the Christian minister William Hechler who was a zealous Christian Zionist. In 1882 he had published his book entitled The Restoration of the Jews to Palestine according to Prophecy.
Even President Harry S. Truman was influenced by his Christian background regarding his decision to recognize Israel in 1948 and likened himself to Persian King Cyrus in the Old Testament who enabled the Jews to return to their land in the sixth century B. C. after their 70-year captivity.
As you quote RaP:
"The prime dispute is whether the halacha should be used to advance the goals of ZIONISM or not"!!!!!!!
Zionism is historically a movement within CHRISTIANITY.
It should be more correctly stated based upon historical facts, (briefly and incompletely summarized above):
"The primary dispute is whether or not halacha should be used to advance the goals of CHRISTIANITY."
L'havdil!!
Jersey Girl of May 12, 2008 12:00 AM: It is very tiresome arguing with someone who sees "the Christian Devil" in everything. Sorry, but you have been reading the wrong books, too many in English seems and none in the Yiddish and Hebrew of EASTERN EUROPE where modern day SOCIALIST ZIONISM, the Zionism of Chaim Weitzman and David Ben Gurion that grew from the populist masses of Eastern Europe to overthrow Czarist and Polish oppression and move to Palestine.
ReplyDeleteZionism has borrowed from a number of ideologies, but quite frankly it is based far more on ATHEISTIC MATERIALISTIC SECULAR and REVOLUTIONARY BOLSHEVISM, rooted in the writings of Marx (MARXISM), Lenin (LENINISM), and Trotsky (TROTSKYISM) than in the silly Christian writers you quote.
Zionist history is complicated and not a "one-dimensional-Christian-Passover-plot-in-reverse-to-destroy-the-Jewish-people-underhandedly" (a truly paranoid scenario) and you had best put down some of the books you have been reading and try reading up on how Weitzman's and Ben Gurion's Polish and Russian minions grabbed Jewish self-governmental power in Eretz Yisrael first from the Old Charedi Yishuv, then from the Turks and then from the British and tried to set up a socialist "utopia" in the Middle East, based on the powers and reach of MAPAM, MAPAI, RAKACH, now embodied in the Israel Labor Party, MERETZ and the new "pragmatic" KADIMAH party.
So try to think like an old-time Socialiast in attempting to grasp the mindset of the secular Israeli power elites and forget about all those relatively puny Christian missionaries that seem to give you sleepless nights.
Somehow I don't think that RaP has read Sefer MinHaMetzar by Rabbi Michael Dov Weissmandl ztl.
ReplyDeleteThe Christians seem to be much bigger supporters and influencers of Zionism than the Communists are.
ReplyDeleteThe founders of Agudath Israel would disagree with your statement. Here is some history on the formation of the organization:
Under the guise of "love of Israel", the Zionists seduced many Jews to replace devotion to the Torah and its Sages with devotion to Zionism. It is of no little significance that Herzl originally sought conversion of the Jews as a solution to the problems of the Diaspora. When he realized that this was not acceptable to the Jewish masses, he contrived Zionism as a satisfactory alternative!
The infamous founder of political Zionism, who only discovered his own Jewishness because of anti-Semitism displayed at the Dreyfus trial in France, proposed various solutions to what he called the "Jewish problem." At one point he proposed to resettle the Jews in Uganda. At another he proposed to convert them to Catholicism. He finally hit on the idea of a Judenstaat, an exclusive Jewish state. Thus from its very beginning Zionism was a result of Anti-Semitism and indeed is completely compatible with it, because Zionists and anti-Semites have a common goal: To uproot Jewish communities from all over the world that had existed for hundreds and even thousands of years.
Belief in the Torah and fulfillment of religious obligations in Zionist eyes became a private matter and not a duty for every Jew or for the Jewish people. The Zionists made divine law subject to party or parliamentary votes, and they set their own standards of conduct and ethics.
A Jewish world organization was founded in 1912 with the specific purpose of fighting Zionism. This organization, Agudath Israel, "Union of Israel," was to represent the true Jewish people in the world. Rabbis everywhere joined Agudath Israel, as did masses of observant Jews. Anti-Zionist congresses were convened in Vienna and in Marienbad. Under Agudah leadership more than 50 years ago, Jews in the Holy Land opposed to Zionism obtained permission from Britain, the mandatory power in Palestine, to declare in writing that they did not wish to be represented by the Zionists or any of their groups, particularly not by the Zionist quasi-governmental organizations such as the Va'ad Leumi, "National Council."
From the beginning of the Zionist movement, some of the most articulate and fervent Zionists have been Christian clergymen, especially "fundamentalists," who hail Zionism as an important "religious" movement and welcome it as a fulfillment of prophecy. They also, and significantly, serve the cause of Zionism.
To anonymous of May 12, 2008 3:05 AM: I am very familiar with Rav Weismandel's Min Hametzar, but what is that supposed to mean? Now you want to talk about the Holocaust as well and how some Zionist leaders cooperated with some Nazis. This is already an old story and it is not the MAIN part of the complex history of Zionism.
ReplyDeleteMin Hametzar is used by some as a text for Anti-Zionism and usually the people who will read it do not need "convincing" that they should oppose Zionism. So your comments are neither here nor there.
To Anonymous of May 12, 2008 3:14 AM: Now you are stretching it. Of course Christians have an interest in Zionism, some oppose it and some support it. So what else is new, but that is not where modern day Zionism as it exists grew from. The millions of Yidden who came from Poland and Russia and those from Arab lands who were expelled from their gentile homelands did NOT yearn for a return to Tzion because some Christians were writing books about Jews going back to Palestine. Christians have been writing "books" based on Jewish ideas from the beginning of Christianity, starting with the "New Testament" and down to our days when the Catholic Church is always coming up with "position papers" about this and that about the Jews. So it is sheer nonsense to place Christians and Christianity at the heart of Zionism which is primarily a modern secular political IDEOLOGY that has nothing to do with the Christian religion.
You are actually helping Christianity by giving it such a big "role" when there is no real historical or scholarly basis for it (in spite of those obscure tomes you may wish to cite, it just ain't so.)
I think once again you are seeing something but you are not interpreting it correctly, and that is, that the gentiles of the world also have their role to play in the kibbutz galuyos (ingathering of the Jewish exiles) and shivas Tzion (the return of the Jews to Zion.) In the Chumash, Yetzias Mitzrayim is based on a struggle with Paro to let the Children of Israel go and then all the wars of kibbush ha'aretz (conquest of the Land of Canaan recorded in the Tanach) taking the land away from the gentiles who were there BY ARMED FORCE by the Twelve Tribes of Israel culminating in King David's final victories and rule over Eretz Yisrael and then allowing for the building of the First Bais Hamikdosh by Shlomo Hamelech -- who by the way was not afarid to CONVERT and MARRY 1000 wives from the nations of the world starting with the daughter of Paroh (in spite of the consequnces he nevetheless did it and he would have surely run afoul of Rav Shternbuch and the BADATZ but guess what, Shlomo Hamelech would not have cared what they would have to say because he had his own higher and deeper reasons for doing what he did -- remember, he was the WISEST of all men!)
Then after the destruction of the First Temple, there is the return to the land from the Baylonian Exile that was decreed and allowed by Cyrus the Great of Persia and the Persian kings who helped Ezra and Nechemia return to Eretz Yisrael and rebuild the Second Bais Hamikdosh.
After the Second Temple was destroyed and the long 2000 year golus is obviously drawing to a close (based on the Talmud's own calculations that the world as we know it is only destined to exist for 6000 years and we're at 5768 already!) So that likewise in our days, like the time preceding both the First and Second Temples whereby the goyishe world powers were INTIMATELY involved the nations of the world, it is now the modern world powers who are involved with the Jews and Israel in this complex and baffling pre Third Temple build up, and yes it is Great Britain and the USA at the lead who are Protestant millenialist nations SYMPATHETIC to the JEWISH cause of the Return to Zion, but it does not mean that somehow "therefore" Zionism=Christianity which would be the same as saying Yetzias Mitzrayim=Avoda Zora/Idol Worship since the Egyptians were idol worshippers and that similarly Ezra and Nechemia=followers of Persian gods because they followed the decrees of the Persian kings that permitted the Jews to return to Eretz Yisrael to rebuid the Second Temple.
So graet care needs to be exercised that history not be politicised or twisted to suit our pre-conceived conclusions.
It must be said and noone can deny that IRONICALLY, this is not acknowledged enough by both secular Zionist and fanatical Anti-Zionists, that when the secular ideas of Zionism were promoted in Eastern Europe in the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentith centuries, and why it still has such a strong hold on the Jewish masses whose roots are from there, is because reference and belief in the centrality of Eretz Yisrael and the return to Tzion and Yerushalayim was in the every day Torah curriculum of every cheder boy in their davening, bentching, siddurim, machzorim, and ending Yom Kippur and the Pesach Seder with Leshana Haba'ah BiYerushalayim Habenuya.
Your failure to note and remark upon these strong and obvious historical and religious facts makes it clear that you are just interested in foisting a one-sided Anti-Zionist, perhaps even a Neturei Karta, point of view that is both childish and dangerous for its unwillingness to look at all the facts and reasons and not just pick and choose a few cocamamy ideas that really impress noone but yourself.
RaP:
ReplyDeleteNeturei Karta are not the only anti Zionists in the world.
Similar opinions were expressed in La Vara (NY's Sephardic Newspaper), and in Palestines Ladino paper. Rabbi Yedid ztl in Jerusalem forbade the teaching of Hebrew as a language and Ben Yehuda was banned as heresy in most Sephardic homes I knew growing up including mine.
Other than Sephardic Sages, activities of Zionism has been banned by many many Rabbis and leaders including:
Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski, zt”l of Vilna
English Translation:
Your honor knows that in the matter of the Zionists and the Mizrachi, I am in correspondence with the Gaonim of this generation, and all of them, have decided that Zionism is the work of the Sitro Achro with all its seductions and incitements, for the purpose of turning Israel from the good path and, that a great danger arises from it for all the Congregation of the Exile—Heaven forbid—and that all those who venture to defend the Zionists, are no better than they.
To our shame, some rabbis in our country have joined the Zionists and have founded an organization under the name of Mizrachi, and they have rejected all the rebukes of the Gedoilei Hatorah, and they pretend to be men with respect for the Word of the L-rd.
They have founded committees and it is likely that they will turn to your honour. I am therefore informing your honour that all the Gedoilim in our land are perplexed at the matter. In the books of the Poskim there is no suggestion that it is our duty to found a kingdom. On the contrary, our sages, the Tenoim and the Amoiroim, have expressly forbidden this. These rabbis of the Mizrachi have no faith, and do not trust in the salvation of the L-rd and their minds have become deranged into believing that in a state founded by the hands of man there will be peace for us.”
SOURCE: "The Transformation" The Voice of Torah, pp 186-187
Rabbis Yitzcack Hutner, ztl, Rabbi Avigdor Miller ztl, Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman ztl, Rabbi Elya Svei, Rabbi Mordehai Gifter, Rabbi Aharon Kotler, just to name a few, also issued written statements banning participation in Zionism.
The idea that Zionism is antithetical to Judaism is not new nor is it solely that of groups such as Neturei Karta which is an offshoot of Agudah Israel which was founded to combat the ravages of Zionism.
The viewpoint that Zionism is a movement that threatens Judaism is and has always been the prevalent position among Torah Sages worldwide.
To Jersey Girl of May 13, 2008 4:16 PM: You are now reading me "the Aguda/Satmar/Neturei Karta party line" and I can say it over even better than you. But that is not the issue when one is trying to UNDERSTAND something and see it in a greater Torah, historical and even Hashkafic context.
ReplyDeleteBy way of analogy, to say that "Zionism is bad" and most of the gedolim said so is like saying "cancer is bad" and all doctors say so. It is not saying anything because it is something that is known and obvious!
I actually do not wish to flog a dead horse and get into a sterile debate with you or with anyone about what Zionism is or isn't because this is a huge issue and a national debate within the Jewish people that has been going on for a long time and has still not been brought to full closure since noone has the right to claim that they have been privy to the "seal of Eliyahu Hanavi" to know what is the final verdict of history and G-d. So quit preaching to me and do not expect me to get into a discussion with you over what Zionism is or is not because that would be a huge waste of time for both us.
I only wished to make one main point against you, and that is to totally disprove your silly notion that Zionism is merely a "debate within Christianity" (a very odd argument) when it is clearly not. And that is why I proved to you that modern secular Zionism is more of an outgrowth from atheist Socialism and Communism as well as from modern Nationalism and perhaps even from Fascism, all modern day political IDEOLOGIES, that have nothing to do with formal religion, although political scientists may class them as secular messianic movements in the sense that these movements attempt to redeem a nation's station in life by means of a political ideology with its own secular "prophets" and "charismatic leaders" but this has nothing to do with mainstream Christianity (Protestant or Catholic), nor with Islam (Sunni or Shia) nor with any other formal religion.
My other point was that the SUCCESS of Zionism in attracting the Eastern European masses was because the Yidden of Eastern Europe were already imbued and endowed with a natural and sponataneous love of Zion as a result of the Torah life they led and that they had been taught in their homes and chedorim about Erets Yisroel, Yerushalayim Ir Hakodesh and the anticipated coming of Mashiach any day to take the Jews there. When secular socialist atheistic Zionism arrived it exploited these feelings and passions (it still does!!!!) That is a fact of history that noone can deny. So stop getting so preachy and telling people what the gedolim thought or said when the comments are directed at you and not at the gedolim, unless of course you think that you are a "gadol" which would be very strange indeed.
RaP:
ReplyDelete"You are now reading me "the Aguda/Satmar/Neturei Karta party line"
The Edah (popularly known as Bedatz) is mainly formed by people whose ancestors arrived in Jerusalem and the Land of Israel long before the founding of the State of Israel.
* Satmarer chasidim
* Dushinsky chasidim
* Toldos Aharon chasidim
* Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok chasidim
* Spinker chasidim
* Brisk community of Jerusalem
* Sanz-Tshokave chasidim
* Perushim (faction of Lithuanian and Hungarian non-Hasidic Haredim, including descendants of the students of the Vilna Gaon)
* Faction of Breslover chassidim (led by Rabbi Yaakov Meir Shechter)
* Mishkenos HoRoim chasidim
Chief Rabbis (גאב"ד) of the Edah HaCharedis
1. 1919-1932: Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld (1849-1932)
2. 1932-1948: Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky (1st) of Dushinsky (1865-1949)
3. 1947-1953: Rabbi Zelig Reuven Bengis (1864-1953)
4. 1953-1979: Grand Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum of Satmar (1887-1979)
5. 1979-1989: Rabbi Yitzchok Yaakov Weiss (1901-1989; author of Minchas Yitzchak, formerly of Manchester Beth Din, England)
6. 1989-1996: Rabbi Moshe Aryeh Freund (1904-1996; author of Ateres Yehoshua (Chassidei Satmar)
7. 1996-2002: Grand Rabbi Yisroel Moshe Dushinsky (1921-2003; son of Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, listed above)
8. 2002 to present: Rabbi Yitzchok Tuvia Weiss (formerly dayan of Machsike Hadass community, Antwerp, Belgium)
Presidents (נשיא) of the Edah HaCharedis
1. Grand Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum of Satmar (1887-1979)
2. 1979-2006: Grand Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum of Satmar (1914-2006)
3. 2006-present: Rabbi Dovid Soloveitchik, rosh yeshiva of Brisk, current President of the Edah Charedis
Past members
* Rabbi Pinchas Epstein
* Rabbi Yisroel Yaakov Fisher (1928-2003), author of Even Yisroel
* Rabbi Moshe Halberstam (1932-2006)
* Rabbi Chanoch Dov Padwa
* Rabbi Binyomin Rabinowitz
Present members
* Rabbi Dovid Soloveitchik, President נשיא (Brisk)
* Rabbi Yitzchok Tuvia Weiss, Chief Rabbi גאב"ד
* Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, Head of Rabbinical Court ראב"ד
* Rabbi Meir Brandsdorfer (Chasidei Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok)
* Rabbi Naftoli Hertzke Frankel
* Rabbi Yeshayah Rosenberger (Chasidei Satmar)
* Rabbi Avrohom Yitzchok Ulman (Chasidei Dushinsky)
* Rabbi Yaakov Mendel Yuravitch
* Rabbi Yaakov Blau
Prominent rabbis affiliated with the Edah HaChareidis
* Rabbi Shmuel Wosner
* Rabbi Moshe Sacks
* Rabbi Yaakov Meir Shechter