New conversion initiative splits Israel Orthodox rabbis
Modern Orthodox rabbis remain dedicated to implementing the conversion law adopted in 2014 — repealed by the current government — which aims to facilitate the process of converting minors.
The great immigration wave from the former Soviet Union in the 1990s brought approximately 1 million Russian speakers to Israel. Some were born to non-Jewish mothers, and thus are not viewed as Jews according to Jewish halacha (religious law) in which religion is determined by the mother. It is estimated that there are around 100,000 children and teenagers under age 18 from the former Soviet bloc who live in Israel and are categorized as having “no religion.” They are growing up in Israeli society with distinctly Jewish identities, yet lack one key component: a clear religious identity.
Beyond the identity issue, members of this group are likely to encounter difficult hurdles in the future, mainly with regard to marriage, family status and burial. That is because in Israel, the various religious establishments (Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Druze) are in charge of these three domains, as there are no civil marriages in Israel.
