samet@sfmag.UUCP (A.I.Samet) (02/19/85)
> From the response to the "Jews for Jesus", > and considering way Israel's Law of Return is applied, > I assume that a Jew who becomes baptized Christian > is no longer considered to be a Jew. > > If that is true, then I have a solution to the plight > of the mamzorim: > > First, become baptized Christian. > Since Jewish laws don't apply to you, your special mamzor status disappears. > Then seek out an Orthodox rabbi and convert back to Judaism. > You will no longer be a mamzor, but rather a ger (is that the Hebrew > word for "convert"?). > > Why wait a thousand (?) generations? > > Frank Silbermann > University of North Carolina It won't work. The Law of Return has no effect on the halacha. Such a person is still a Jew al pi din.
ask@cbdkc1.UUCP (A.S. Kamlet) (02/20/85)
> From the response to the "Jews for Jesus", > and considering way Israel's Law of Return is applied, > I assume that a Jew who becomes baptized Christian > is no longer considered to be a Jew. > > If that is true, then I have a solution to the plight > of the mamzorim: > > First, become baptized Christian. > Since Jewish laws don't apply to you, your special mamzor status disappears. > Then seek out an Orthodox rabbi and convert back to Judaism. > You will no longer be a mamzor, but rather a ger (is that the Hebrew > word for "convert"?). > > Why wait a thousand (?) generations? > > Frank Silbermann > University of North Carolina A Jew who becomes baptized and is accepted by Christians as a Christian, is an apostate Jew. As such, he is not entitled to the rights of Jews. But Judaism, like many other religions, has no provision for totally "converting out." If this apostate Jew later repents and does t'shuva, he could again be entitled to all rights of a Jew. But, since he has always been a Jew he cannot convert (back) to Judaism. So, the plight of the mamzor, which was never the fault of the mamzor but of his parents, is not resolved. The Law of Return is a law of the State of Israel, passed by the Knesset and, as applied by the State courts, has held that an apostate Jew does not qualify as a Jew. But, and this is really important, this is not a religious law, but rather the result of some political, religious and pragmatic mish-mosh. -- Art Kamlet AT&T Bell Laboratories Columbus {ihnp4 | cbosgd}!cbrma!ask