Limmud Oz 2021

Recognition of non-Orthodox conversion performed in Israel has always been a political landmine. Since 1962, when Ben Gurion agreed that a law be passed conferring a monopoly over marriage and divorce to the State-run Orthodox Rabbinate, the Orthodox institutions inferred that this monopoly included conversion. In fact, the opposite was true. In 1970, when the question of "who is a Jew" was debated in the Knesset within the framework of the Law of Return, the majority ruled that there would be no definition of "who is a convert", in order to keep the law as inclusive as possible. For over 30 years the Supreme Court wrestled with the issue, trying to push the "hot potato" back to the legislators – until finally this year, it handed down its decision in favour of the non-Orthodox movements – weeks before the latest election. This session will explore the implications of the decision – legally, politically and socially.