It is time to reject Orthodox conversions to Judaism

After another screed from an Orthodox rabbi defaming fellow Jews, even questioning the Jewishness of their rabbis (Jerusalem Post, “The tough conversation,” P. 10, April 22), it is time for the Reform and Conservative movements to take action.

After this offensive rejection of their converts, liberal Jewish movements should stop recognizing Orthodox Jewish conversions.

In his tirade, Rabbi David Eliezrie spoke of his “heartbreak” at having to tell congregants converted by Conservative and Reform rabbis that they are not real Jews.

No, the real heartbreak is that Orthodox Judaism has built a wall between it and other Jews, calling into question their Jewishness on false pretenses and lashon hara (defamation) – and thereby reading themselves, not the liberal Jews, out of the religion. So how can they legitimately convert anyone?

Before we continue, full disclosure: I am an Orthodox Jew, but I am not a rabbi. I’m just a journalist. In my nearly five decades as a reporter in Israel, I have covered the Jewish world and its leaders, watched the “Who is a Jew” controversy, and witnessed the damage caused by the haughty, inflexible, and religiously reprehensible behavior of the Orthodox establishment monopoly against Jews whose practices are different from theirs.

I am sure that no Conservative or Reform Jewish official can write what I’m writing here, but I have no doubt that many of them would have liked to.

The basis of Eliezrie’s (I called him “rabbi” once – that’s enough) rejection of liberal Jews is that they don’t believe the Torah is meant to be taken literally. And though he singles out converts for his defamation, he expands that to include their rabbis, because, heaven forfend, some might question whether the Exodus from Egypt happened exactly the way it is portrayed in the Bible. Eliezrie, of course, accepts that as part of the “foundational premises of the divinity of the Torah, the Exodus, and the centrality of the Jewish homeland… as it has been taught since the dawn of history.”

Where to start. Let’s start with the “dawn of history.” The concept of taking the Bible literally has been put to rest effectively many times. My favorite is the classic movie recreation of Clarence Darrow grilling Christian fundamentalist William Jennings Bryan in the Scopes trial over the teaching of evolution in 1925. Darrow’s punch line: If you believe that the story of creation is literally correct, how is it possible that there were three days and nights before the creation of the sun on the fourth day?

And the “dawn of history” line itself, as though Judaism has not evolved. Go read the Talmud, Mr. Eliezrie. Much of it is about the Temples, the sacrifices, and the priests there. The Temples ceased existing 2,000 years ago. Yet Judaism survived. It survived by evolving into a religion of ethics and practices alongside its faith. Evolved. Get it?

In Jewish history, there have often been fanatics who tried to hijack the religion and exclude others. Up to now, they have failed.

Unfortunately, in Israel, fanatics like Eliezrie (who is himself apparently an American) are succeeding. The Chief Rabbinate has been taken over by non-Zionist ultra-Orthodox fundamentalists who enjoy enacting stringency after stringency, alienating Israelis in droves from the religion. That in itself is a violation of the holy Halacha. They even arrogate to themselves the power to cancel conversions carried out by Orthodox rabbis. It’s my understanding, as a layman, that once a conversion is completed, it can’t be canceled, not even by the chief rabbi. So it’s time to eliminate that whole position, that whole institution, but that’s another matter.

Here’s the point. Orthodox rabbis have used the conversion issue to drive a wedge between Jews and Jews. Even when liberal Jewish leaders offer to convert according to Orthodox practice, (I know of one such approach in the 1980s in the US), they are rebuffed.

There are “70 faces to the Torah.” If you sincerely believe that your face is the best way, then just persuade everyone else. Ostracizing them, defaming them, or canceling them is not only unacceptable, it’s classic sinat hinam (baseless hatred). The Talmud says that’s what led to the destruction of the Second Temple.

Do we really want that to happen again? To allow fanatics to make our religion hateful to the people? Drive them away? Or is now the time to act to stop it?

Conservative and Reform Judaism are perfectly acceptable forms of religious practice. They’re not mine, but they’re legitimate precisely because they are followed by Jews. That’s the only requirement. If I don’t like it, I have two choices – either shut up, or engage in real dialog, not the patronizing, bullying, threatening kind that Eliezrie does.

So here’s the conclusion. In its current practice and behavior, Orthodox Jewish conversions are harming the people, dividing them, and driving people away.

So the Conservative and Reform movements should stop recognizing Orthodox conversions. Orthodox converts should be required to pass a short course in pluralism, tolerance, and derech eretz (proper behavior) before being accepted into liberal congregations.

That would be a start.