Conversion to Judaism part 7

A big consideration in the non recognition of non Orthodox conversions has more to do with history and politics than actual halachah. Both Reform and Conservative Judaism differ on many important points from Orthodoxy. As such, they are considered heresies, much like the Karaites and the Samaritans. But Samaritans WERE considered Jews for 1,000 years before the issuing of a ruling declaring them not to be Jews. Similarly, marriages between Karaites and Rabbinites were common for 400 years, until RAMBAM campaigned for their non recognition. The Chief Rabbinate in Israel keeps going back and forth between declaring Karaites to be Jews or non Jews. The Conservative movement began before there was an organized Orthodoxy in America. While some of its leaders were essentially "Reform lite", most were fully observant and for all intents and purposes Orthodox. In fact, the Conservative Jewish Theological Seminary very nearly merged with the Modern Orthodox Yeshiva University in the 1920s.  The merger fell through, not because of halachic differences, but because of differences in methodology in Talmudic study.With time, however, it drifted further and further away from Orthodox principles, even as Orthodoxy was drifting to the Right. In about 1960, two prominent American Orthodox rabbis declared war on the Conservative movement. (I do not wish to reveal their names). One, a very Right Wing rabbi, had a young rabbinic scholar enroll at JTS, in order to find out what was said there. I spoke to that scholar many years later. He described to me what happened. He was in a class on Chumash. An unusual word was under discussion. The professor explained it by using a cognate word from another Semitic language. The young man protested "but RASHI says..." The professor interrupted "THIS is the approach of our yeshivah". After reporting back to the rabbi, a ban was put on the Conservative movement. Everything they did was declared invalid. Even if an Orthodox rabbi took a Conservative pulpit, he was to be considered invalid. This position was endorsed by the Right Wing Agudas HaRabbonim. Had that rabbi taken the time to send a spy four miles North  to Yeshiva University, he would have heard the same thing. He was, in fact, a prisoner of the mindset of the European yeshivot. At about the same time, a highly influential  Modern Orthodox rabbi applied for a teaching position at JTS. He was rejected. Personally miffed, he also declared the Conservative movement to be heretical and invalid. This all begs the question if these men had the foresight to see what was to become of the Conservative movement, which now rejects the binding nature of halachah, or whether they brought this about by pushing them away. In any case, this resulted in an ostracizing of any and all rabbis with any connection to that movement, even if personally observant and dedicated to the spreading of Torah Judaism. This also served to write off two thirds of American Jewry. A few years ago, in the neighborhood where I live, and Orthodox rabbi was seen talking to a Conservative rabbi on a street corner. The Orthodox rabbi was immediately fired. In my opinion, this attitude is, in my opinion, bad for the Jews, and even worse for converts. Next, I shall discuss how American Orthodoxy, including conversions, has been hijacked by one narrow group.