Education Minister Rafi Peretz's miserable remark that assimilation is like a "second Holocaust" has once again brought the question of Jewish identity to the front of the moral and institutional agenda. Unlike other issues concerning religion and state, this question pertains not only to those who live in Israel but to the millions of Jews living around the world. In terms of legal arrangements, the new government will be forced to contend with this hot potato after the upcoming election.
The question of who is Jewish and what a valid conversion is in Israel has occupied Israeli society and Diaspora Jewry for decades. It is also a source of great political controversy. This question has many formal legal aspects, but also deep ethical and emotional aspects as well and fateful repercussions for hundreds of thousands of Israelis and millions of Jews who live overseas. "Who is a Jew?" is probably the most complicated question that could be asked about issues pertaining to religion and state because it hones in on the unique Israeli trinity of nation-religion-state, which are bound together. It also significantly influences the character of the state; it is through the Law of Return that the state provides all those recognized as Jews the entrance key to the country.
Some 400,000 of the country's citizens live in Israel as Jews in every respect: They are students in the Israeli Jewish education system, serve in the army, and are integrated into all aspects of society. Nevertheless, from the perspective of Jewish law, they are not Jewish. A majority of them would be happy to become official members of the chosen people if there were only a conversion process that accepted the concepts of Jewish law that take into account their special status and connection to the Jewish people.
There are millions of Jews from all streams of non-Orthodox Judaism overseas, and in the United States in particular, whose answer to the question: "Who is a Jew?" is not recognized by Jewish law. They see themselves, along with their family members who are not Jewish according to Jewish law, as Jews in every respect. When the education minister spoke about assimilation and the Holocaust, it was them they had in mind. It is true that some of these Jews, some of which are Jews according to Jewish law, are growing distant from Israel and Judaism, and are now lost. But many of them are members of Jewish communities who celebrate Jewish holidays, and yes, are closer to Israel and identify more with the country.
While with a majority of internal Israeli issues, the influence of Israeli policies is limited to Israeli citizens, when it comes to questions of Jewish identity, every decision and every statement made in Israel reverberates throughout the Jewish world. Even those members of the Jewish Diaspora who are not contemplating making aliyah perceive the Jewish state as a possible home and see its decisions on questions of Jewish identity as a meaningful statement that has an impact on their lives. Alienating declarations and decisions cause many to distance themselves from Israel and in fact serve to push them out of the Jewish circle.
The legal attitude toward the issue of Jewish identity and valid conversion in Israel is complex. As a result of vague legal definitions and a series of Supreme Court rulings, almost every conversion performed in a Jewish community around the world has been recognized in Israel.
As a matter of principle, this fundamental issue should be resolved in a coherent and agreed-upon manner. But reality and sensitivity lead us to the conclusion that there is also an advantage to ambiguity and a lack of uniformity. All the decision-makers and those involved in the issue would, therefore, be well advised to be wary of their words and their decisions; the eyes of millions of Jews in Israel and around the world are watching. They have the ability to push those Jews away but also to bring them closer.
