Rabbi Nahum Rabinovich, the senior rabbi of Religious Zionism and president of the private courts of “Giyur KaHalacha” [Private Conversion according to Jewish Law] has come out against a draft of a bill that would ensure that the key to Jewish conversion is kept exclusively within the hands of the national conversion department at the Israel Chief Rabbinate.
The summary of the bill, named “National Conversion Law in Israel,” is expected to be discussed at the Ministerial Committee on Legislation Sunday. Rabbi Rabinovich has sent a letter calling on ministers to prevent the bill from being sent along to the Knesset to Jewish Home party ministers Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked.
The draft legislation, written by ultra-Orthodox parties, is intended to subvert a High Court of Justice ruling delivered only a year ago. At the time the court said that private conversions in Orthodox religious courts conducted in the framework of known communities will be recognized for the purpose of the Law of Return and for population censuses. The ruling was nicknamed the Karelitz Ruling and was expected to be followed up by recognition on the side of the rabbinate later on.