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New Jews (and the Issues): December 1998

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New Jews (and the Issues). Friday, December 18, 1998. After the Ne’eman Commission: Where do we go now? After the Ne’eman Commission: Where do we go now? By Rabbi Richard A. Block. The answer to the second question is far from certain, but the answer to the first, though complicated, is clear. The Ne'eman plan would have the Reform, Conservative and Orthodox movements cooperate in preparing candidates for conversion in an undetermined way, with the conversion itself held under Orthodox auspices. The move...

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New Jews (and the Issues): "Return Conversion to the Rabbis"

http://newjews.blogspot.com/2010/01/return-conversion-to-rabbis.html

New Jews (and the Issues). Sunday, January 10, 2010. Return Conversion to the Rabbis". Return Conversion to the Rabbis. By Marc D. Angel. As published in the Daily Forward on 6 January 2010 C.E. For centuries, rabbis steeped in Torah and Halacha have served as the gatekeepers of the Jewish people. They have determined which non-Jews may join the Jewish people as converts. In recent months, we have witnessed scandal after scandal involving Haredi rabbis. In a particularly notorious case, Rabbi Leib Tr...

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New Jews (and the Issues): "Every town's chief rabbi must have the authority to perform conversions himself"

http://newjews.blogspot.com/2010/01/every-towns-chief-rabbi-must-have.html

New Jews (and the Issues). Monday, January 25, 2010. Every town's chief rabbi must have the authority to perform conversions himself". As originally published in Haaretz. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman called on Monday for a change to laws on conversion to Judaism, which he said had left thousands of Israelis in limbo. It is unacceptable that over 200,000 immigrants are carrying identity cards that give their status as 'no religion'," Lieberman said. This is not the first time that Lieberman, himself...

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New Jews (and the Issues): American Jewish Explosion

http://newjews.blogspot.com/2010/02/american-jewish-expansion.html

New Jews (and the Issues). Monday, February 1, 2010. By Joshua (Gedalyah Chaim) Reback. Seven years ago in his New York Times article, A Jewish Recount. He was right then, and he is right now. Worse yet, this policy of alarm has not produced results in reversing the assimilation trends that were then exaggerated but still a profound problem. This figure is dramatic. And other students, with no Jewish heritage at all, are joining them. The internet age has increased interest in new religions. ...A combine...

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New Jews (and the Issues): February 2010

http://newjews.blogspot.com/2010_02_01_archive.html

New Jews (and the Issues). Monday, February 1, 2010. By Joshua (Gedalyah Chaim) Reback. Seven years ago in his New York Times article, A Jewish Recount. He was right then, and he is right now. Worse yet, this policy of alarm has not produced results in reversing the assimilation trends that were then exaggerated but still a profound problem. This figure is dramatic. And other students, with no Jewish heritage at all, are joining them. The internet age has increased interest in new religions. ...A combine...

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New Jews (and the Issues): Is there still a need for EJF? - An insider's perspective

http://newjews.blogspot.com/2010/01/is-there-still-need-for-ejf-insiders.html

New Jews (and the Issues). Sunday, January 17, 2010. Is there still a need for EJF? Originally posted on Daas Torah Blog. Reprinted in the 5 Towns Jewish Times. Former EJF Insider Reveals Doubts. Did Gedolim Approve All This? Published on Friday, January 15, 2010 - COMMENTS (0). Is there still a need for EJF? Not only that, from a halachic perspective, what was I allowed to teach this man if his wife was not yet on board? A little bit of Hebrew? After all the conferences all over the world and world-clas...

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New Jews (and the Issues): Encourage descendants of Jews to come back into the fold, rabbi urges

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New Jews (and the Issues). Friday, January 15, 2010. Encourage descendants of Jews to come back into the fold, rabbi urges. Written by Atara Beck. Wednesday, 13 January 2010. 8220;We are 18 years too late,” he declared. “It would have been much easier had this been dealt with in a better way from the start. They [Russian olim] are already part of Medinat Yisrael [the state of Israel]. They are Israeli citizens…study in Israeli schools, serve in the army. Eighty thousand ...The majority of these olim clai...

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New Jews (and the Issues): Rabbi Drukman dismissed from conversions court

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New Jews (and the Issues). Friday, January 15, 2010. Rabbi Drukman dismissed from conversions court. Civil Service Commission orders Prime Minister's Office to terminate conversions court head's employment effective immediately, citing it opted not to renew his contract. Religious Zionism sources warn move may have coalitional ramifications. As the Prime Minister's Office has administrative jurisdiction over the conversions court, Director-General Eyal Gabai was asked to inform Drukman of the decision.

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New Jews (and the Issues): by Seth Farber: The New Conversion Law is a Joke

http://newjews.blogspot.com/2010/02/by-seth-farber-new-conversion-law-is.html

New Jews (and the Issues). Monday, February 1, 2010. By Seth Farber: The New Conversion Law is a Joke. View this OpEd as originally posted in the Jerusalem Post. Coalition MKs have added a clause that effectively neutralized the law. However, the law which these ministers support is layered with populism and party interests, and ultimately, will help few potential converts. However, all that changed four months ago. It was then that the bill came up for review in the Knesset Law Committee and almost imme...