corwin@ut-ngp.UUCP (Corwin, Lord of Amber) (01/17/85)
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Amendment defining 'Who is a Jew' dies in Knesset
UPI
JERUSALEM-- Israel's parliment Wednesday killed an amendment that would
define "who is a Jew" by strict orthodox criteria, dealing a major blow
to the nation's Orthodox Jewish leadership.
The 62-51 vote ended at least temporarily a 15-year battle by the religious
lobby to restrict Jews to those born of a Jewish mother or converted by
Orthodox rabbis.
The measure would have excluded conversions by the Reform and Conservative
Jewry--the major branches of Judaism in the United States.
After scarcely 90 minutes, the Knesset voted against taking up the bill,
making it impossible to raise the issue again for six months.
"Is this the time for this with so many problems, so many weighty and
burning issues before us?" Prime Minister Shimon Peres asked, opposing
a full debate.
But Knesset member Avner Sciaky of the National Religious Party, who
presented the bill, vowed, "We will bring it back again and again, until
we are successful with the help of G-d."
The bill was technically an amendment to the 1970 Law of Return, which
makes any Jew elegible for Israeli citizenship if he claims it. The
1970 law defines a Jew as any person born of a Jewish mother or converted
by any ordained rabbi.
Only 20 to 25 percent of Israel's 3 million Jews are Orthodox, as are about
half of the 6 million Jews in the United States.
"Legislation cannot define who is a Jew, the generations have," Peres said.
"It is not in the power of a law to save or salvage those Jews who are
lapsing," he said. "It is the right of every Jew to believe more or to
believe less, to be more of a Zionist or less of a Zionist."
Peres said the obligation of Israel now was to bring all Jews to the
country. "Let us not greet them with conflicts and arguments," he said.
At most, only about a dozen new immigrants a year would have been affected
by the amendment.
But American Jewish leaders, in Israel for an Israeli bond drive, warned
that the vote would endanger the unity of Jewry and could decrease donations
to Israel from Jews in the United States.
Sciaky disagreed. "This is the central question in Judaism, whether here
or in the diaspora," Sciaky said. "This nation was founded to be a Jewish
nation, so there would be a Jewish majority.
"He who is not a Jew should not be able to be received as a Jewish immigrant."
Later, Sciaky said the bill does not seek to divide the Jewish people. Rather,
he said, "Let's have one gate to Judaism--according to the Halacha."
[end article]
Posted without comment.
--
-Off into Shadow
Corwin, Lord of Amber
...!ihnp4!ut-sally!ut-ngp!corwin
"Well you're DEAD now, so SHUT UP!!!"mab@hou4a.UUCP (Michael Brochstein) (01/21/85)
>Only 20 to 25 percent of Israel's 3 million Jews are Orthodox, as are about >half of the 6 million Jews in the United States. The numbers that I last saw (in 1979) said that one out of every three Jews in the US are affiliated with synagogues. Out of that one-third ( I believe the other two-thirds are mostly assimilated), I seem to recall that 57% were members of Conservative synagogues with Orthodox and Reform synagogues splitting the rest. I can't remember the exact percentages for these two but I beleive the Reform movement had about 25% and Orthodox 15%. If these numbers are just roughly close then the Orthodox part of the Jewish community in the US is about 5% (300K) and not three million as inferred in the UPI article. Does anyone have more up to date figures than mine? -- Michael Brochstein AT&T Information Systems, Holmdel, NJ ihnp4!hou4a!mab (201) 834-3482
act@pur-phy.UUCP (Alex C. Tselis) (01/22/85)
In article <1207@ut-ngp.UUCP> corwin@ut-ngp.UUCP (Corwin, Lord of Amber) writes: >. > >Amendment defining 'Who is a Jew' dies in Knesset > >UPI > >JERUSALEM-- Israel's parliment Wednesday killed an amendment that would >define "who is a Jew" by strict orthodox criteria, dealing a major blow >to the nation's Orthodox Jewish leadership. > >The 62-51 vote ended at least temporarily a 15-year battle by the religious >lobby to restrict Jews to those born of a Jewish mother or converted by >Orthodox rabbis. > >The measure would have excluded conversions by the Reform and Conservative >Jewry--the major branches of Judaism in the United States. > I'd like to ask a couple of questions concerning Judaism. Can someone sum up what the difference is between the Orthodox, Conservative and Reform branches of Judaism? I think that the order I've listed them in is in decreasing strictness of observation of the various laws. Would someone explain that? Also, how does one convert into Judaism? And how do conversions in the different branches differ? I'd like to see the responses posted to the net, since they may be useful to others who would like to know. (Also, there's something wrong with mail reception here at Good Ol' Purdue, so if someone sent a private response, I'd never get it.)
mls@wxlvax.UUCP (Michael Schneider) (02/01/85)
Although I consider myself an observant Jew, I consider the definition of Who is a Jew as per the Law of Return a political issue, not a religious one. Admitting someone to Israel under the Law of Return should have not any ramifications on the future of Jews as defined by Jewish law. The problem arises only when marriage or children are involved; this currently is controlled by the Chief Rabbis. To amend the Law of Return in the way proposed whould further limit the number of "Jews" entering Israel. The Law of Return has as its basis the saving of Jewish life. The parties that proposed the bill under the guise of religion are, in my opinion, in the same league as the British prior to WW II. Don't forget, a person running for his or her life may not have the necessary documents. Or, they may belong to a small group who come from small Jewish communities (where initially their claim to being Jewish was questioned). Let us first save Jews, then worry about their observance or parents; problems in those areas can be changed. If there is doubt, a conversion can be done - but not on a corpse. michael schneider