Israeli Bill Gives Orthodox Rabbis More Control; Reform, Conservative Jews Oppose Its Approval

Liberal Jewish groups were angered last month (August 2010), after a parliamentary committee in Israel approved a bill that would give Orthodox rabbis more control over the sensitive issue of conversions to Judaism, according to the Worldwide Religious News website.

The Reform and Conservative movements -- which are the largest Jewish denominations outside Israel but wield little clout inside the Jewish nation -- fear the new bill could increase the influence of Orthodox rabbis, while undermining their own legitimacy and connection to Israel.

Of the world's roughly 13 million Jews, half live in Israel, with most of the rest concentrated in North America. Each Jewish denomination has its own requirements for people who want to convert to Judaism.

The liberal Jewish denominations are concerned that the new bill could mean that immigrants who converted to Judaism with non-Orthodox groups abroad would be denied Israeli citizenship.