Rabbi Lau
Rabbi LauMoshe Goldstein

Chief Rabbi of Israel Rabbi David Lau participated this afternoon, Sunday, in the business conference of the “Hamodia” newspaper, where he rejected accusations against the Chief Rabbinate over the Conversion Law and Kotel (Western Wall) Plan.

“In the last two weeks, we heard statements whereby American Jewry is breaking away from us.”

Rabbi Lau said that the Rabbinate was not responsible for a break in ties. “85 percent of them have not even been to Israel. To say that we are depriving them is completely false.”

“Whoever wants to pray at the Kotel is free to do so. But they’re not coming to pray - they’re not coming at all,” the Rabbi asserted, and addressed the issue of assimilation among both US Jewry and Israelis living abroad. “There needs to be some people in the Jewish community who know a minimal amount about [Jewish] tradition.”

“A rift with American Jewry - it’s false," Rabbi Lau said. He specifically addressed the issue of the Conversion Law, and came out against short "summer camps" at the end of which participants come out "converted."

"It's fake news," the Rabbi concluded.