EJF scandal - R' Adlerstein nails it!

Cross-currents

If you don't know what it stands for, skip the rest of this piece. I am not going to rehash the whole sordid affair.

For what it is worth, I will offer one man's opinion, written as a bit of an insider in the world of gerus, since I sit from time to time on a respected beis din for gerus. The opinions expressed herein are my own; they were not vetted by my colleagues.

I have come neither to praise EJF, nor to bury it. If I believed that EJF was worthless, I wouldn't bother writing. It is only because I see the potential for accomplishment that I pen these thoughts, in the hope that others will feel the same way.

The chief problem with EJF is not its recent scandal-ridden past. The problem is that to date, it has not done enough to insure that the past will not be repeated. The way in which it has addressed the past hardly inspires any confidence. [...]

Conservative Judaism:Van Leer Conference

JPost

Burning issues threatening to split the Conservative Movement, such as the ordination of homosexual and lesbian rabbis, the sharp drop in the number of young members and the challenge of intermarriage will be raised this week during a two-day conference in Jerusalem's Van Leer Institute entitled "Conservative Judaism: Halacha, Culture and Sociology."

"This will be the first time that an institution not associated with the Conservative Movement will devote a scholarly conference to Conservative Judaism," said Professor Naftali Rothenberg, Jewish Culture and Identity Chair at Van Leer.

"And this is happening on the backdrop of a major crisis that the Conservative Movement is undergoing, in which members of the religious Right and Left in the movement are headed in opposite directions." [...]

EJF - praises themselves for being so wonderful

Eternal Jewish Family Update 12/27/2009

Halachic Heads of EJF in New Letter of Chizuk to Botei Din - Eternal Jewish Family

Three world renowned halachic authorities, who serve as chairmen of Halacha Committees of the Eternal Jewish Family in the US, Europe, and Israel, last week wrote a strong letter of chizuk to Botei Din throughout the world. The three are Harav Reuven Feinstein, Chairman, Halacha Committee, (USA), Dayan Chanoch Ehrentreu, Chairman, Halacha Committee (Europe), and Harav Shmuel Eliezer Stern, (Av Bais Din of Bais Din of Harav Wosner), Chairman, Halacha Committee (Israel). A network of 20 independent Botei Din are affiliated with EJF.

In their letter, the poskim note their continued involvement and expectation of the further growth and development of EJF. They note: "It is a big zchus for us to be able to continue to lead such an important undertaking, with even greater determination and vigor, to intensify these Torah projects and to serve as supporters of the Gedolei Yisroel."

The full text follows, please click read more to see the letter in the original Hebrew:

To the Rabbonim of the Batei Din,

For the past several years the well known organization "Eternal Jewish Family" has made it its mission to prevent problematic conversions by adhering to the standards set forth by the Gedolei Yisroel shlita.

With Hashem's will, this mission has succeeded through Botei Din who agreed to make the necessary changes in accordance with halacha mandating the acceptance of mitzvos with all nuances, as has been the standard for generations, in order to preserve the purity of the Jewish nation.

The distinguished Botei Din, to whom we exclusively refer candidates for conversion,   include members who are well known Talmidei Chachomim and Bnei Torah, who refer every difficult question to the Poskim of our generation.

We extend our heartfelt thanks and sincerest blessings to our dear sponsor Mr. Menachem Yitzchack (Tom) Kaplan, who actively sustains the organization's activities, in preventing assimilation around the world, and in supporting Torah study.

It is a big zchus for us to be able to continue to lead such an important undertaking, with even greater determination and vigor, to intensify these Torah projects, and to serve as supporters of the Gedolei Yisroel.

We wish to bless all those who are doing their utmost to improve kedushas Yisroel, as the passuk says: "Netzach Yisrael lo Yeshaker".

Harav Reuven Feinstein
Chairman, Halacha Committee, USA

Dayan Chanoch Eherentreu
Chairman, Halacha Committee, Europe

Rabbi Shmuel Eliezer Stern (Av Bais Din of Bais Din of Harav Wosner)
Chairman, Halacha Committee, Israel

Protest in New Square

Joseph's recapitulation of Tropper scandal

DT said:
Perhaps a new perspective is needed. Are you willing?

Joseph said:

I have thought about this and have also looked into all your previous posts, you have really left no stone unturned. In the beginning you even posted a defense for tropper, there was no real response. You asked tropper to apologize to reduce the chilul hashem in the world, there was no response. You posted a wonderful post; "Sounds of silence or who is the 800 lb gorilla in the room?" that post couldn't have been written better, you write there that tropper seems to have some friends still defending him, which sounds absurd. You write that the tapes have been 100% clarified. You quoted in a new post Rav Sternbuch, which is common sense, there is nothing more to be written in my opinion.

This last post of yours has drawn almost 100 responses, more than ever,(I don't know why this one triggered people more than previous ones) but a lot of it is going round in circles with the defenders constantly puling the wool over everyone's eyes. Like someone wrote before, if the holocaust can be denied then so can troppers guilt. Maybe you add this to the list of conspiracy theories, that you once posted. Its similar to the tactics that Hitler YMSH used in the early 1930`s, i.e. if you say a lie enough times then it becomes the truth. (this is the power he used to convince the german people of all his dirty theories and plans) This tactic is being deployed here and is becoming more widespread as the time goes on, obviously they are hoping to have some results via this method.

I would therefore advise you not to lend a hand to this dirty trick, keep yourself clean and above the water. Eventually the truth will prevail, as it always does, this took some years of your fighting to reveal this menuval, but now the truth is really out for everyone to see and hear.

Rav Sternbuch:Tropper is guilty!

There are increasing comments popping up that there is no evidence against Tropper. That the tapes are forged or misunderstood.

Let me present something rather basic that Rav Sternbuch has said recently to someone who asked about Tropper's guilt.

Rav Sternbuch, shlita said the following:

The fact that this story with the accompanying accusations has been printed in newspapers  around the world, the normal thing would be to hire the best lawyer in the world and issue a public denial and sue all the papers for libel. The mere fact that this has not been done is the biggest proof the accusations are true. It is an example of what our Sages say that silence in the face of an accusation is understood to be an admission "Shetikah k'hodah".

Messianic Times & rabbinic immorality

סוטה מט:

אזלא ודלדלה, ואין שואל ואין מבקש, על מי יש להשען? על אבינו שבשמים. בעקבות משיחא - חוצפא יסגא, ויוקר יאמיר, הגפן תתן פריה והיין ביוקר, ומלכות תהפך למינות, ואין תוכחת, בית וועד יהיה לזנות, והגליל יחרב, והגבלן ישום, ואנשי הגבול יסובבו מעיר לעיר ולא יחוננו, וחכמות סופרים תסרח, ויראי חטא ימאסו, והאמת תהא נעדרת, נערים פני זקנים ילבינו, זקנים יעמדו מפני קטנים, בן מנוול אב, בת קמה באמה, כלה בחמותה, אויבי איש אנשי ביתו, פני הדור כפני הכלב, הבן אינו מתבייש מאביו, ועל מה יש לנו להשען? על אבינו שבשמים

רש"י מסכת סוטה דף מט עמוד ב

ובית הוועד - של חכמים יהיו לבית זנות שכלו החכמים ואין לומד תורה ויהא חרב מאין איש ובעלי זימה מתגודדים שם מפני שחוץ לעיר היו בתי מדרשות שלהם.

Sotah (49b) BECAME MORE AND MORE DEBASED; AND THERE WAS NONE TO ASK, NONE TO INQUIRE. UPON WHOM IS IT FOR US TO RELY? UPON OUR FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN. IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE MESSIAH1 INSOLENCE WILL INCREASE AND HONOUR DWINDLE;2 THE VINE WILL YIELD ITS FRUIT [ABUNDANTLY] BUT WINE WILL BE DEAR;3 THE GOVERNMENT WILL TURN TO HERESY4 AND THERE WILL BE NONE [TO OFFER THEM] REPROOF; THE MEETING-PLACE [OF SCHOLARS] WILL BE USED FOR IMMORALITY; GALILEE WILL BE DESTROYED, GABLAN5 DESOLATED, AND THE DWELLERS ON THE FRONTIER WILL GO ABOUT [BEGGING] FROM PLACE TO PLACE WITHOUT ANYONE TO TAKE PITY ON THEM; THE WISDOM OF THE LEARNED6 WILL DEGENERATE, FEARERS OF SIN WILL BE DESPISED, AND THE TRUTH WILL BE LACKING; YOUTHS WILL PUT OLD MEN TO SHAME, THE OLD WILL STAND UP IN THE PRESENCE OF THE YOUNG, A SON WILL REVILE HIS FATHER, A DAUGHTER WILL RISE AGAINST HER MOTHER, A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW, AND A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD;7 THE FACE OF THE GENERATION WILL BE LIKE THE FACE OF A DOG,8 A SON WILL NOT FEEL ASHAMED BEFORE HIS FATHER. SO UPON WHOM IS IT FOR US TO RELY? UPON OUR FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN.