The search for the optimum way of keeping Israel Jewish and restoring "lost souls" in accordance with Halakhah continues.

Not only do some in the religious community accuse the Rabbinical Conversion Court of being too strict, but the official government educational arm for those interested in converting to Judaism has stopped referring candidates to the court.

The Judaism Education Institute (JEI) is the official government educational arm for those interested in converting to Judaism. Though incorporating teachers from the Reform and Conservative streams as well, the ongoing dispute is taking place largely within the Orthodox camp - and deals with how strict of a line to take with potential converts.

1,000 Converts a Year

The number of converts from the former Soviet Union has remained constant at around 1,000 per year. The JEI says that there are three main reasons for this lack of growth: The strict policies of the rabbinical judges, an inefficient information campaign among potential converts, and insufficient authority granted to the JEI.

At present, the distribution of authority regarding conversions is complex. The Ministry of Immigrant Absorption has most of the authority, covering educational preparations for conversion, responsibility for the Judaism Education Institute, other conversion courses, and information campaigns regarding conversion.

However, the Jewish Agency is the Ministry's executive arm for all of the above. In addition, rabbinical conversion courts, headed by Rabbi Chaim Druckman, are run under the auspices of the Prime Minister's Office; the Education Ministry conducts adult education classes for conversion; and the IDF is a partner to the government's Netiv program in which thousands of soldiers study for conversion to Judaism during the course of their army service.

The Absorption Ministry has therefore announced that it is planning a series of changes in the conversion apparatus - though it is not yet clear what these changes will be.

Interior Ministry statistics indicate that over 290,000 people who immigrated to Israel from the former Soviet Union are not Jewish. Russian Aliyah experts say that many of those listed as Jews are actually not, thus adding at least another 170,000 non-Jews to the ranks, and probably more.

The controversy within the religious camp is being waged between two religious ideals, both sides acknowledge. Though the JEI acknowledges that the more stringent view has a strong basis in Halakhah [Jewish Law], it insists that the more lenient view is also strongly backed. JEI says that though Rabbi Druckman - the head of the Conversion Courts and of the Yeshivot Bnei Akiva network - takes this latter position as well, not all of the judges follow suit. These judges fear that a thorough check of the would-be convert's intentions is critical in order that non-Jews not be considered Jews.

Though Judaism does not actively seek out proselytes, and even discourages them, the present situation is different, students of the Rabbi Druckman school of thought explain. One of them told Arutz-7: "When we pray that G-d should ingather the 'nidhei Yisrael - those of Israel who are cast-off,' it doesn't only mean those who live far away, but also those who are 'from the seed of Israel' - i.e., those who have a Jewish father or grandfather [but not a Jewish mother, without which they are not Halakhically Jewish]. If your brother had a son who wasn't Jewish, wouldn't you do what you could to bring him closer? We all have brothers like that - and when their offspring come to Israel and want to be part of the Jewish People, we have to do what we can to interest them and bring them back, within the confines of Jewish Law - and then continue to reach out to them afterwards as well."

Some rabbinical court judges have been "accused" of demanding that the convert live a 100% observant life-style, while others demand that they merely accept upon themselves all of the Torah's commandments in practice. Still others say it is enough for them to accept them in theory, even if it is clear that they will not follow the precepts in every instance. It must be noted that many who adopt the more "welcoming" view say it applies only to the Land of Israel, but that in the Diaspora, the conditions for conversion are stricter.

"No Trip-Up Questions"

Haifa's Chief Rabbi She'ar-Yashuv Cohen, writing in the HaTzofeh newspaper last week, made his position clear: "I never said that the convert need not say, 'I hereby accept upon myself to keep and observe all the commandments of the Torah as they were given to Israel by Moshe Rabbeinu at Mount Sinai, including Rabbinical precepts.' [However,] it is rumored that the rabbinical court judges give too many tests before the conversion - which is unnecessary and causes obstacles... Even if they suspect that the one who wishes to convert to Judaism will not fulfill his declaration in practice, we must convert him, in accordance with the Halakhic opinion of the Ahiezer and the late Sephardic Chief Rabbi Ben-Tzion Uziel and the late Chief Rabbi Isser Yehuda Unterman - and especially in a case of intermarriage, which is a case of after-the-fact - and even more so with those who have come to the Land of Israel and when they and their children are mistakenly considered Jews... In short, they must declare their willingness to accept the yoke of the Torah, but we must not torture them, challenge them unnecessarily or ask them trip-up questions [such as what would you do if your employer forces you to drive on the Sabbath]."

Approximately 6,000 immigrants study for conversion each year, but only a third of them actually complete the process. This relates to another criticism of the Rabbinical Courts, namely, the long delay - sometimes up to two years -between the completion of conversion requirements and the receipt of the longed-for "Jewish" certificate.

Survey Findings

An Absorption Ministry survey conducted in advance of a Russian-media publicity campaign asked non-Jewish immigrants what factors keep them from beginning the conversion process. In response, 80% said that it would harm their freedom to live how they wish, 76% said they fear they would not receive confirmation that they are in fact Jews, 72% said the process is too long and difficult, 70% said they sense that there is a desire to make them 'religious' and not just 'Jewish,' and 69% said they fear that the goal is to change their personalities.

The survey also found:

* 48% of the non-Jewish immigrants feel more Russian than Israeli regarding the observance of Sabbath and Jewish holidays (as opposed to 31% of the Jewish immigrants).

 * 55% of the non-Jewish immigrants feel more Russian than Israeli regarding cultural and leisure habits (as opposed to 40% of the Jewish immigrants).

* 57% of the non-Jewish immigrants feel more Russian than Israeli regarding education and family (as opposed to 35% of the Jewish immigrants).