YNet reports:
The recent headlines resulting from the JDC – ICCD’s study that most European Jewish leaders support greater tolerance for conversion raised both a frown and bewilderment from those European leaders directly involved in conversion, particularly its rabbis and more specifically its Orthodox rabbinate. A frown because it reminds them of their constant battle with lay leaders over standards for conversion and bewilderment because this survey is like asking taxi drivers about world economic policy – they’ve got a lot to say but understand little about the intricacies of the subject matter.
The survey reports a remarkable tolerance towards intermarriage among the respondents. As much as 85% thought that it was not a good idea to strongly oppose intermarriage and bar those who intermarry and their spouses from communal membership.
According to the JDC’s own statistics 30% of those polled were defined as Orthodox, which means that 50% of the Orthodox polled were not strongly opposed to intermarriage. A major problem with this survey is that it allows respondents to provide their own self-definitions.
Anyone familiar with the European Jewish communal scene knows the following: There are many Jews who belong to Orthodox synagogues purely for burial or familial purposes. When asked to identify themselves, these people will identify themselves as ‘Orthodox’ because they belong to an Orthodox synagogue or burial society. Many do not keep Shabbat, Kashrut, and may even themselves be married to a non-Jew. It is hardly surprising that 46% of these respondents agree, that if you have one Jewish parent (even if it is the father and therefore the rest of the family are not halachically Jewish) you should be allowed to be a member of the community. This means that many who participated in the survey are Orthodox in name only.
Most significantly, there is a glaring omission of the one group of leaders who more than anyone are involved in conversion and matters of Jewish status - the rabbis of Europe. [...]
So basically the author is suggesting that since the majority of the people surveyed don't support his views, let's do another survey limited to those who do. Makes sense if you want to produce particular results, but I think he should spend his own money to do so rather than spending the JDC's.
ReplyDeleteWould the pollster be happier if they called themselves goyim? Surely it's a good thing that they continue to recognise the validity of halacha, even while they don't follow it themselves.
ReplyDeleteThe survey was done by Gallup international, the best surveying company in the world, and rabbis were invited to participate. Criticizing the methodology or the survey is like cursing at the one of holds the mirror.
ReplyDeleteThe reality is that Rabbis need to realize that their views are increasingly divorced from that of the mainstream. That is their fault only, and not the survey's, that accurately reflects that rabbis are out of touch with their constituents and/or the lay leaders of their communities.