November 19, 2008

by Cnaan Liphshiz

The Jewish Agency has upset both liberals and hardliners this week by urging Israel to form new, "moderate" conversion bodies. The Agency's assembly, which met in Jerusalem this week, rejected a more sweeping proposal calling for Israel to recognize converts of all streams as Jews.

"It was the only pragmatic path," Richard Pearlstone, chair of the Agency's Board of Governors, said yesterday in an interview with Haaretz about two separate resolutions on conversion, which the Agency's assembly passed on Sunday. The resolutions called for Israel to set up a new, independent conversion authority and more liberal courts of Jewish law.

Pearlstone is also in Israel to attend the United Jewish Communities General Assembly considered the world's largest gathering of Jewish leaders which this year partly coincided with the JA's assembly.

At Sunday's JA resolution session, Pearlstone hinted to the 120-odd voters to shoot down a third proposal from the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, which sought to urge Israel to "recognize and accept as Jews" all those who converted under the supervision of rabbinic authorities from "all religious streams of Judaism." At the session he said: "Let's try to focus on proposals which have a standing chance of being accepted by the government." Yesterday he clarified his position. "As a secular [Jew], I support all streams. I don't disagree with the L.A. proposal. I support it, but I just don't see it as having a chance of being implemented." This is because the language of the said document, according to Pearlstone, "undermines the Jewish Agency's ability to get a deal done with the government." As a businessman, he adds, "I can tell you that you need to only go for the deals you can actually make." The fact that Pearlstone, 60, heads a real estate development and financial services company and happens to be the grandson of the late, great Joseph Meyerhoff may serve to make his words more convincing.

Asked whether he thought his intervention against the proposal might have had a significant effect on its rejection, Pearlstone answered in the affirmative.

This move, no doubt, came as a disappointment to some at the assembly, considering that Pearlstone's nomination last year was seen an opportunity for change and rejuvenation something he has pledged in the past.

Pearlstone whose youthful appearance is complemented by a diamond earring, a colorful wardrobe, tan and a down-to-earth and informal demeanor says he is still committed to change, but change that takes place "over time" and makes full use of the Agency's existing partnerships.

Rabbi Shaul Farber, head of ITIM, a nonprofit that helps potential converts navigate rabbinic bureaucracy, says he understands Pearlstone's approach. "The resolutions that the Jewish Agency passed have little chance of being adopted by the rabbinical court system, whose progress on conversions is virtually stalemated," said Farber, who added that he supported making conversions more accessible.

Farber added that the rejected L.A. proposal, which he describes as "provocative," would have even less chances of being adopted in Israel.

Lorin Fife, a member of the Agency's Board of Governors and coacher of L.A. Federation's Israel and Overseas Department, who is also visiting Israel for the GA, reacted by saying: We would not attempt to be provocative nor did we intend to offend anybody. But we did want to try and draw attention this crisis, which, left untreated, will only worsen with time." Gilad Kariv, a Reform rabbi and associate director of the Israel Religious Action Center, agrees. He said he found the proposal's shelving "regrettable," adding that the Jewish Agency had voted it down to "avoid stepping into a political minefield." Kariv nonetheless supports the resolutions, which were passed.

The two resolutions were based on a proposal by former minister Ya'acov Ne'eman, former chair of the Neeman Commission, tasked in the 1990s with reforming Israel's conversion apparatus.

"Neeman has not been successful in solving the conversions crisis so far," Pearlstone said, "but he's the only one who managed to get the ball moving and we need to stick with him." The issue, he added, is "of great concern" to the American Jewish community.

Kariv, the Reform rabbi, responded to this by saying that Ne'eman, despite his extensive efforts, has failed in "breaking the corruption-inducing monopoly that the ultra-Orthodox stream has on conversion," and that there is no need to keep pursuing his path.

Although the Prime Minister's Office this year formed a committee on conversions, currently only the rabbinical court system which follows ultra-Orthodox principles is authorized to convert people to Judaism.

Naturally, some in the ultra-Orthodox community appear equally concerned about the prospect of making conversion more accessible. Hod Hashron's chief Ashkenazi rabbi, Reuven Hiller, told Haaretz yesterday he found the resolutions the Jewish Agency passed "disturbing." Hiller, an outspoken critic of Reform Judaism, argues that the "problem of assimilation" dictates a stricter, rather than laxer, approach. "The Jewish Agency has acted out of its own political and financial interests," he says. "They are trying to court more Reform donors because of the pressure of the world financial crisis." Citing the crisis, the Agency last month announced it would slash $45 million from its annual budget and begin to review staff layoffs.

While Pearlstone admits to courting donors "of all colors green, blue and pink," he denies this stands at the base of the Agency's efforts to achieve a more lenient recognition system for converts. "It's a real crisis, when [Israeli citizens] who want to become Jews are not allowed to do so, yet they are allowed to fight and die for Israel." Acknowledging he may be out of touch of the intricacies of Israeli society, Pearlstone added that as a whole, Israelis did not seem "to be too concerned" with this issue.