The Chief Rabbinate; A Blessing or a Curse? part 13

The new Chief Rabbis who were elected in 1993, were heavily under the influence of Hareidi rabbis. Around that time, the main Hareidi rabbis, especially in the Lithuanian Yeshiva sector, had adopted the very stringent approach to conversion, that had been formulated by Rabbi Yitzchak Shmelkes in 1876; that no one can be converted unless they are totally committed to observance on the highest level. This standard was imposed on the conversion courts in Israel, which were all under the auspices of the Chief Rabbinate. At first, the new Chief Rabbis published a list of which rabbis in America would be acceptable to them for conversion purposes. Unfortunately, many of these rabbis were already deceased, which can be a big drawback for one seeking help with a conversion. The old formula of accepting anyone converted by an Orthodox rabbi was no longer valid, as standards differed widely between rabbis. As protests to this narrow list mounted, a new policy was adopted. Only two rabbis, both heads of the RCA, and on the top faculty of Yeshiva University, would be recognized. Rabbis in outlying areas, hundreds of miles from New York, had little ability to send prospective converts for training and conversion. Eventually, a compromise was reached, in which RCA rabbis, approved by the two originally approved rabbis, would be set up in major population centers around the United States and Canada, operating under the authority of these two rabbis. Many Orthodox rabbis were incensed. Their communities had chosen THEM as the halachic decisors. They were members of an organization, not vassals. True, in Israel, every rabbi with an official position is legally a representative/employee of the Chief Rabbis. But this was never the case in the United States. Orthodox rabbis who were not members of the RCA were simply not recognized (with few exceptions). Chabad had conversion classes and facilities at many Chabad houses. They were persuaded to cease and desist, and refer all to the Batei Din of the RCA. (My personal belief is that the day is not far off when Chabad will replace the RCA as the major Orthodox organization in the United States). This can be seen as a cynical power grab by the RCA. But it can also be seen as a sincere desire to bring uniformity to the American rabbinate, with a consensus of action at the HIGHEST common denominator. Rabbi Marc Angel (a man for whom I have great respect), a former President of the RCA, protested this policy vehemently and openly defied it. A non-Jewish spouse of a Jew wants to convert, and is willing to accept the basic framework of an Orthodox lifestyle, is to be turned away, leaving an intermarriage in place, with the resulting problems for future generations? Aren't these the type of things a rabbi is supposed to have the discretion to decide? For sure, some rabbis were still doing non-approved conversions, but these would not be recognized beyond his own community. Intimidation was employed against Orthodox schools that hired these converts. This policy was in place from the mid 1990s until 2012. Two events changed the situation drastically., First, sanctions were planned against those RCA members who were bucking the system. Rabbi Avi Weiss, a close associate of Rabbi Angel, had formed his own seminary, that taught a much more liberal form of Orthodoxy. Attempts by the Chief Rabbinate and the RCA to discredit him, were met with huge protests from admiring colleagues. At about the same time, a scandal was revealed in which the head of one of the RCA's Batei Din had been exposed (no pun intended) as a voyeur, who placed hidden cameras in the women's mikveh in Washington, D.C.. The pressure was on both the RCA and the Chief Rabbinate to relax their grip. A new compromise was reached that any RCA rabbi could do conversions, but would only be recognized in Israel with a letter of approval from the RCA leadership. But it was still limited to the RCA. One of the current Chief Rabbis has hinted that it might be extended to include others, especially where there is no RCA Beit Din. I am waiting to see this. Now, I must admit that I have strong feelings in this area. I am very pro-convert. People whom I converted back in the 1970s are recognized in Israel. While I lived there, I was on one of the Rabbinate's Batei Din for conversion. Since returning to the States, any conversion I do would remain unrecognized, as I am not a member of the RCA. I feel great resentment over this. On the other hand, charlatans who convert for money are vanishing from the scene. It is getting harder and harder for uncredentialed rabbis to function. Americans tend to value independence and individuality. Israelis tend to value organization and officialdom. The truth is probably at an elusive place in between. In my next part of this series, I will discuss current protest movements in this area, and what they may lead to.