#BringThemHomeNow

Mar 8, 2010

Protest Changes to Israel's Law of Return -- CORRECTED LINKS

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may see it online.
Forward this message to a friend
the masorti (conservative) movement in israel - promoting religious pluralism and building community through inclusive, traditional, egalitarian Judaism
Dear Friends,
 
I am writing to make you aware of breaking news out of Israel that requires your immediate attention.
 
The Knesset may vote as soon as tomorrow on pending legislation to make some key changes to the Law of Return, which regulates who is entitled to claim Israeli citizenship, specifically targeting converts to Judaism. 
 
In response, the Rabbinical Assembly has sent out an urgent message, reprinted below, to its entire membership. We hope you, too, will heed the RA's call to action. Please contact Michael Oren, the Israeli Ambassador to the United States, and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, to register your protest in accordance with what the RA recommends. (Suggested text for letters, as well as email contact information is contained within the RA's message.)
 
We cannot permit ultra-Orthodox parties in Israel to determine the fate of the Jewish People without regard to the millions of us in the Diaspora who are active, dedicated and devoted Jews affiliated with non-Orthodox streams. Please make sure your voice is heard.
 
For additional information, you may contact us at the Masorti Foundation for Conservative Judaism in Israel, (212) 870-2216 or info@masorti.org, or log onto our website at www.masorti.org. Residents of Canada, please contact the Canadian Foundation for Masorti Judaism at Canada@masorti.org.
 
Sincerely,
 
David H. Lissy
 
Executive Director & CEO
Masorti Foundation for Conservative Judaism in Israel
 
FROM THE RABBINICAL ASSEMBLY
 
Dear Colleagues,
 
We need your help on a matter of urgency concerning a bill that will come before the Knesset. We have received word from our colleagues in Israel that a bill may be put forward for passage as soon as tomorrow which affects conversion and we need as many of us and our congregants to forward the following letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu and to your Israeli Ambassador.
 
The bill sponsored by MK David Rotem of Yisrael Beitenu, deals with both the authority of the Chief Rabbinate and matters of Conversion. The Rotem Bill concerns three matters:
 
1.     It grants legal authority to the Chief Rabbinate for Conversions (while until now there was de facto recognition this gives legal recognition to the role of the Chief Rabbinate in this area) and would make it much more difficult for conversions to be performed by our Movement, by more "open-minded" Orthodox rabbis, and by Reform rabbis.
 
2.     It provides for the ability of local rabbis in Israel to establish conversion courts. This is a good part of the bill of which we are supportive because it will potentially permit the establishment of more forward looking conversion courts. However, the first part of the bill passes, the Chief Rabbinate may declare these courts null and void, which would obviate any cause for our support.
 
3.     Section 3 of this bill is highly problematic. Here is the summary of Section 3 by our colleague, Reuven Hammer:
 
 "Section 3 of the proposed conversion bill that we strongly oppose states that anyone that who entered Israel as a non-Jew and then converted to Judaism-either in Israel or the Diaspora would not be eligible for citizenship under the Law of Return. First of all this is exactly the case that we now have before the Supreme Court, asking that our conversions in Israel be recognized and citizenship rights granted to our converts. This is an attempt to go around the Supreme Court. Secondly, the wording is so vague that it could mean that if such a person had visited Israel at any time, no matter when, their conversion would not be recognized for citizenship in the future. Thirdly this would be the first time that Israel is officially making a distinction between one who is born a Jew and a righteous convert, something that we find deplorable and unsupportable in Jewish Law. Since our movement is the movement that is most involved in conversion in America and elsewhere, we and our congregants are the primary target of the bill. We urge everyone to make their protest known immediately to the Israeli government."
 
WE STRONGLY URGE THAT YOU CALL UPON YOUR COMMUNITIES TONIGHT TO FORWARD THE FOLLOWING LETTER OR ITS EQUIVALENT TO THE PRIME MINISTER AND YOUR AMBASSADOR.
 
The Honorable Benjamin Netanyahu
Prime Minister of Israel
Office of the Prime Minister
Jerusalem, Israel
 
Dear Prime Minister Netanyahu,
 
We write to request your immediate intervention to prevent passage of the legislation being brought forward by MK David Rotem ( - )
Passage of this bill in its present form especially section 3, will have the effect of providing for a path to alter the Law of Return or, at the least, cause undue hardship to anyone in Israel who has come from Diaspora communities and seeks conversion in Israel.
Sadly, this is reminiscent of those attempts in 1997 to enact similar legislation which ultimately led to the establishment of the Ne'eman Commission.
While we are supportive of your efforts to create greater accessibility to conversion courts in Israel and have done all we can to aid in this effort, the overall impact of the Rotem Bill will set back these efforts. Moreover this legislation will adversely impact the work of our Masorti movement and its members in Israel. This we cannot abide.
Even more regrettably, should this bill be enacted, it will exacerbate a widening gap between Diaspora and Israel communities, which we are all working very hard to avoid. 
Therefore, we believe it is imperative that you, Israel's leader, who cares so deeply about the well-being of our people, intervene and urge withdrawal of this bill. 
 
The email for Prime Minister Netanyahu is:
 
For Amb. Oren's office:
If you should have any further questions please contact Stuart Weinblatt, our Israel Policy Chair
 
 
To learn more, please contact:
Masorti Foundation for Conservative Judaism in Israel
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 832
New York, NY 10115-0068
(212) 870-2216; 1-877-287-7414
http://www.masorti.org/; info@masorti.org



Total Pageviews