In the wake of a recent proposal to reform the kashrut certification system, which has sparked uproar in the Chief Rabbinate and Haredi public, Religious Services Minister Matan Kahana is now advancing a conversion reform that will likely please non-Orthodox elements and anger Haredi members of Knesset and rabbis.
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Israel Hayom has learned that Kahana has held a series of consultations in recent days in preparation for drafting what will be a national conversion bill, including meetings with chief rabbis. Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau has reportedly asked to meet with Kahana to present his views and emphasize his priorities on the matter.
As for Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, who was outraged over the proposed kashrut reforms and published a scathing letter last week together with other members of the Chief Rabbinate Council, the chances of him agreeing to meet with Kahana to discuss any conversion reform proposal are slim.
In the coming weeks, meanwhile, Kahana is also expected to meet with rabbis from the national religious sector, as well as with former Justice Minister Moshe Nissim. In 2018, Nissim proposed a conversion reform outline that recommended establishing a new conversion authority outside the jurisdiction of the Chief Rabbinate, which would recognize liberal, or non-Orthodox, conversions performed abroad. The outline presented by Nissim, however, which did receive the go-ahead by then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was buried due to Haredi pressure.
Kahana is also expected to meet with current conversion officials before drafting and presenting his outline, in the hope of garnering the broadest possible support. Officials close to Kahana say he is guided by the principle of preserving conversion according to Halacha (Jewish Law), out of deep and true care for the future of the Jewish people.
Not many details are known yet about Kahana's intended conversion reform, although it's reasonable to assume it will also be met with severe backlash from Haredi MKs.
Conversion reforms have been attempted in the past, including allowing chief municipal rabbis to establish their own localized conversion authorities. However, they have all been shelved due to Haredi pressure. Now, it appears, Kahana is looking to reopen this powder keg and settle the matter once and for all.
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