Two hundred and sixty rabbonim from Eretz Yisroel and North
America gathered recently in Washington, DC to attend the
Eternal Jewish Family conference, whose object was to bolster
awareness of the potentially tragic consequences of failing
to meet the exacting halachic requirements for accepting
converts, for both the individuals involved and for our
nation as a whole. Plenary sessions stressing the need for
stricter supervision of conversions, and shiurim
dealing with various relevant halachic issues were
interspersed with informal meetings of the attending rabbonim
for further discussion of the problems and for heated Torah
debate.
The central dais at the convention was graced by HaRav Aharon
Schechter and HaRav Shmuel Kamenetsky, members of the Moetzes
Gedolei Hatorah of America, HaRav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi,
rosh yeshivas Ateres Yisroel, HaRav Boruch Dov Povarsky, one
of the heads of Ponovezh Yeshiva, HaRav Moshe Shapiro, HaRav
Shmuel Eliezer Stern, an av beis din on the beis
din of HaRav S. Wosner of Bnei Brak, HaRav Simchah
Hacohen Kook, rov of Rechovot, HaRav David Yosef, head
of Beis Hamedrash Yechaveh Daat, HaRav Moshe Meiselman, rosh
yeshivas Toras Moshe, HaRav Eliyahu Levin of Lakewood, HaRav
Moshe Heinemann, rov of Baltimore, HaRav Hillel David, one
of the leading rabbonim in Brooklyn, HaRav Nota Schiller,
rosh yeshivas Or Somayach, and the organization's leaders,
HaRav Reuven Feinstein, rosh yeshivas Staten Island, HaRav
Leib Tropper and HaRav Nochumm Eisenstein, as well as
Israel's Chief Rabbis Rav Shlomo Amar and Rav Yonah Metzger
and Rav Mordechai Neugreschel and Knesset member Rabbi
Avrohom Ravitz.
One of the main messages of the session, sent by Maran HaRav
Eliashiv and announced by Rav Eisenstein, is the fact that
the responsibility for verifying the validity of a conversion
rests upon the one registering or performing any subsequent
marriage. He must carefully inspect the conversion
certificate and satisfy himself that it is valid, that the
conversion was performed properly by a beis din
choshuv, before he validates the marriage.
An offhand remark made in passing by Rav Eisenstein has since
generated considerable controversy. Rav Eisenstein mentioned
that HaRav Eliashiv told him that one who believes that the
world is older than 5,768 years, as Chazal tell us, should
not serve as a dayan on a beis din for
conversion. Although it occupied only a few seconds of a much
longer speech, that remark has caused considerable reaction.
Rav Eisenstein has since personally reconfirmed the statement
with HaRav Eliashiv shlita.
In between sessions, I managed to put some questions to some
of the participants, in an attempt to gain a broader
perspective of the organization's work and aims.
YN: Rav Tropper, give us some background. How did the
whole thing start?
Eternal Jewish Family's activities are an outgrowth of the
Teshuvoh movement. The Jewish world is gripped by
powerful longing for Hashem's word. Many Jews are
rediscovering their roots and seeking to return to an
observant way of life. Outreach movements like Arachim, Or
Somayach and others are succeeding to stir Jewish hearts
across the continent. Often, once the Jewish spark is ignited
it bursts strongly into flame. Another Jew returns
wholeheartedly to his heritage and his home undergoes a
spiritual transformation. Then it transpires that his of her
spouse is not Jewish. Our organization came into being to
help in this type of situation.
YN: So you aren't trying to solve the problem of
intermarriage by conducting halachically valid
conversions?
Choliloh. We are neither looking for ways to attract
gentiles nor to increase the number of conversions being
carried out — no way! However, when we encounter
individuals who are sincerely returning to full Torah
observance and it transpires that there is a problem of
intermarriage — and there are not many such cases
— we have been guided by our leaders and teachers, the
foremost poskim, not to reject the gentile spouse.
Obviously, this holds true only if it emerges positively and
beyond any shadow of doubt that the converting partner
undertakes to become fully observant and that the couple
intends to live in complete adherence to the Torah's
requirements. Then we enter the picture, to ensure that the
conversion is complete and uncompromising i.e. that it is
conducted by an authorized beis din! Understandably,
this activity has brought us face to face with the terrible
problems surrounding conversion countrywide. We decided to
prevent gentile infiltration into the Jewish nation, by
raising protective barriers.
YN: But Rav Eisenstein, aren't we supposed to try and
push away prospective converts seeking to join the Jewish
People?
Based upon the Rambam's opinion (as well as other sources)
HaRav Chaim Ozer Grodzensky zt'l, ruled that
prospective converts with Jewish partners should not be
rejected when we are certain that there is full, wholehearted
repentance and complete acceptance of mitzvos. The intention
is to remove obstructions from the paths of those who wish to
repent. For this reason, HaRav Eliashiv directed us not to
spurn them. Of course, this only holds after a permanent
beis din of distinction is convinced beyond any doubt
that the couple will fully accept Torah and mitzvos. The
cases that meet these requirements and progress to carrying
out an halachically acceptable conversion are few in number.
At the same time, elsewhere across the country the industry
for halachically unacceptable conversions is working at full
throttle.
YN: Are you referring to Reform conversions?
No. I'm referring to rabbis within orthodox circles who are
not well-versed in what they're doing and who act contrary to
halochoh.
YN: So, Rav Tropper, you make things difficult for
them . . .
Difficult but in the long term, easy! When we welcome a Jew
back into the orthodox fold we want him to attend the best
possible beis haknesses and his children to attend the
best possible yeshivos. In the exactly same way, in the
handful of cases where conversion is necessary we have to
ensure that it is the best conversion, the most genuine, the
most halachic and uncompromising, so that besides the
inherent validity of the procedure we avoid the later
suffering that attends the discovery that some people do not
accept the convert's conversion.
