(Wittten by Lubicom)
Jerusalem…An impressive group of Gedolei Yisroel, rabbonim and dayanim reaffirmed the importance of ascertaining the sincerity of potential converts in accepting the “ohl hamitzvos,” at a special meeting organized by the Eternal Jewish Family (EJF) on May 29th. The meeting followed the highly publicized debate in Eretz Yisroel over the assertion that many conversions were lenient about the concept of “kabolas ohl mitzvos” at the time of conversion.
The meeting was opened by Harav Leib Tropper, Rosh Yeshiva, Kol/Yaakov, who serves as the head of Vaad Harabonim of EJF. He noted that the timing was rife for a gathering of yirei hashem on the subject, “which could only lead to positive results.” Harav Shmuel Eliezer Stern, representing the Bais Din of Harav Vosner and Rosh Yeshiva of Chasam Sofer, read a massage from Harav Sholom Yosef Eliyashiv, who warned that “we must be on guard with all our strength to prevent the incursion of foreign concepts (in giyur) into bais yisroel.”
[...]
Harav Tropper suggested closer scrutiny at time of giyur to determine the sincerity of the potential converts in keeping Torah and mitzvos. He also reiterated the position of Gedolei Yisroel that conversions can only be performed in established batei din and not batei din that are set up for the purpose of doing giyur and whose conversion must be redone. The meeting resolved to embark on an intensive educational campaign amongst local religious councils to emphasize their responsibility in preserving the sanctity of the Jewish nation.
Amongst the participants were Harav Yitzchok Scheiner, Rosh Yeshiva of Kaminetz and a member of the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah; Harav Shmuel Deutsch, a Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshiva Kol Torah; Harav Eliyahu Heishirik, Dayan of the Bet Din of Tel Aviv; Harav Mordechai Shlomo Steinmetz, Rav of Chasidei Viznitz, Jerusalem; Harav Moshe Havlin, Rav of Kiryat Gat; Harav Yosef ben Porat, Rosh Yeshiva Ashrei Ha’ish; Harav Nochum Eisenstein, Chairman of the International Committee on giyur affiliated with the beth din of Harav Eliyashiv; Harav Mordechai Kalmanowitz, Director of the Wedding Registry, Ashdod; and Harav Zvi Weinman, a toen.
same comment- isn't lubicom a marketing firm? what is being marketed here?
ReplyDeleteKT
Joel RIch
To anonymous of June 12, 2008 2:16 AM who asks "isn't lubicom a marketing firm? what is being marketed here?"
ReplyDeleteAnswer: Leib Tropper, since none of the other rabbis ever needs it or works that way.
EJF is guided by the business mind of one Dr. Tom Kaplan who believes that (a) potential converts can be fully brought into Yiddishskeit by strong marketing and that (b) other Orthodox rabbis who they don't like can be tarred and feathered by negative marketing.
If this sounds confusing, it is because Leib Tropper has been heavily criticised for both (a) trying to convert gentiles married to Jews by wining and dining them at retreats and hotels and (b) attacking and rejecting both converts who have not followed his dictates AND other Orthodox rabbinical bodies as he, and his uncomfortable ally Rabbi Nochum Eisenstein of Israel, demean and degrade the status of Modern Orthodox and Religious Zionist rabbis.
Rabbi Tropper should stick to running his little Kol Yaakov ba'al teshuva yeshiva in Monsey, NY and leave the global Halachic problems to the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorahs of both Israel and America and other such august rabbinic bodies, instead of getting in over his head with problems that he can neither solve nor contribute anything to regardless of how much money he gets EJF to pay Lubicom to toot his horn for him.