In the wake of the recent Leib Tropper scandal, I have read quite a lot about his Eternal Jewish Family and its ongoing battle against Modern Orthodox and Religious Zionist conversions in the US and in Israel. While many bloggers view it as a power struggle, I think that the political differences are an extension of a theological rift, which in recent decades has been pushing the charedi and the so-called Modern Orthodox camps further apart.
While halacha requires a convert to demonstrate both a sincerity of purpose and a commitment to Jewish observance, Tropper’s EJF has chosen to relax its standards in regard to the former (by converting Jew’s Gentile spouses), while blasting non-charedi conversion courts for foregoing the later. This distinction became especially apparent in an interview given by Shannon Orand, who last week completed her conversion in Israel. (more…)