Comment by a Rabbi from Israel: “If a Jew has converted, he cannot repatriate” 0 136

A bill amending the Law of Return has been introduced in the Knesset of Israel: it proposes that only halachic Jews would have the automatic right to repatriate to Israel, and that Reform and Conservative conversions would no longer grant automatic rights to aliyah. According to Rotman’s plan, other members of Jewish families (spouses, grandchildren, Jews by paternal descent, etc.) would only be able to apply for regular citizenship, without the status of "olim" and the associated benefits.

Newsru.co.il correspondent Maria Volokh discussed these legislative initiatives with the chairman of the Israel Reform Rabbinate Council and the head of the Reform community "Daniel" in Jaffa, Binyamin Minich. Other topics were also raised during the interview.

- How did the right to repatriate for grandchildren of Jews arise?

• Initially, the Law of Return stated that Jews and their family members: spouses and children could repatriate. Accordingly, if a Jew has a child from a non-Jewish wife, he has the right to repatriate. At the same time, there was no definition of a Jew in the law initially. As far as I remember, until 1959, repatriation to Israel was based on personal declaration. A person would come, say that he is a Jew – and that was enough.

Thus, a parallel system of rabbinical confirmation of Jewishness was created. There are precise testimonies that Polish wives were brought and registered as Jews. There were rumors about former Prime Minister and President Shimon Peres that his mother was not Jewish, which is why he is so "leftist." It was said about former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that his mother was Arab. Conspiracy theorists did not just appear now.

But for the religious, it was important that the law contained a definition based on the mother. Ultimately, in 1970, they conducted a compromise amendment. On one hand, they inserted the traditional definition that a Jew is one who is born of a Jewish mother or has undergone conversion, and on the other hand, they stated that grandchildren of Jews could also repatriate. Therefore, it is funny to me now when they propose to abolish the amendment regarding grandchildren. Let’s abolish the compromise and return to the definition of a Jew based on personal declaration.

Why don’t the Orthodox want grandchildren of Jews to come to Israel?

It is not correct to generalize; this is not related to orthodoxy. Those who do not want the children and grandchildren of Jews to come here do so not because they are Haredim, but because they are radical nationalists.

In Hebrew, "harada" means phobia. They say it is because they are God-fearing. But I say: it is because they are afraid of everything. The biggest phobia of an Orthodox Jew is that his grandchildren will not be Jews. And I must say that I understand this fear. But I cannot influence it. I chose to marry a Jewish woman; I can influence my own choice. But I cannot influence whom my children marry. I was lucky with my daughter – her children will definitely be Jews, but I have two more sons. On one hand, I would like them to marry Jewish women. But on the other hand, I understand that we live in a modern world. And if I want my grandchildren to be 100% Jews, I must become ultra-Orthodox, move to a ghetto, and most likely condemn my children to poverty.

- If I understand correctly, Jews do not want people to adopt their religion at all. Why then is conversion needed?

• There is much debate about this. The Talmud states that one should dissuade those who come to adopt Judaism. Dissuading and refusing are not the same thing. There is a prescribed procedure: a person is refused twice, and on the third time, they are accepted. We check the seriousness of the candidate.

For centuries, it was not particularly fashionable to adopt Judaism. Who would want to adopt a religion for which you could be killed? Then, when Israel appeared, people from poor countries wanted to live here. Therefore, the need to limit the right to repatriate began to be discussed.

For example, there is no conversion in Mexico at all. In the local culture, many wealthy Jews have an official Jewish wife and a Mexican mistress. Orthodox rabbis have banned conversion there, fearing that men will start abandoning their wives and converting their mistresses. At the same time, we know that in Moscow, you can undergo conversion for money. If you are the wife of an oligarch, for example.

- What is your attitude towards the ban on repatriation for Jews who have adopted another religion?

• The Law of Return contains the wording "and has not adopted another religion." This is a significant ideological problem. That is, if a Jew has converted, he cannot repatriate. But the court interpreted this law in favor of practiced Christianity (specifically religious practice, not just initiation).

I am from the city of Kerch in Crimea, and there interreligious syncretism is simply insane. In the late 19th century, the Krymchak Jews had a rabbi for 33 years whom everyone went to: Christians, Muslims, Crimean Tatars. They would say, "a holy man, let’s go to bow down, kiss his hand." Everyone also went to Saint Luke of Crimea when he was an archbishop. Everyone went to the Toplovsky Monastery to immerse themselves in the healing spring. In Crimea, we grew up in a mix of cultures: today we will clink eggs, tomorrow we will bring you matzah to try, everything is fine. But at the same time, everyone knew perfectly well to which religious tradition their family and ancestors belonged.

- How did you become a rabbi?

• When the Jewish community formed in Kerch, it quickly became reformist. As I see it now, this decision was made for utilitarian reasons: they did not want to change their way of life, they wanted to continue eating pork and drinking vodka during Passover.