Don’t Encourage French Jews To Move To Israel Because It Will Lead To Intermarriage, Haredi Rabbis Say

About 50% of French Jews are intermarried, meaning many of the French Jews who would come to Israel would bring with them a non-Jewish spouse and non-Jewish children. Because of that, top Ashkenazi haredi rabbis say Israel should not encourage their immigration to Israel because that immigration will inevitably lead to more intermarriage and assimilation.

Above: Hyper Cacher kosher supermarker, the site of an Islamist fundamentalist terror attack ealier this month that killed four French Jews

Don’t Encourage French Jews To Move To Israel Because It Will Lead To Intermarriage, Haredi Rabbis Say
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com

About 50% of French Jews are intermarried, meaning many of the French Jews who would come to Israel would bring with them a non-Jewish spouse and non-Jewish children. Because of that, top Ashkenazi haredi rabbis say Israel should not encourage their immigration to Israel because that immigration will inevitably lead to more intermarriage and assimilation, Ynet reported.

The non-Jewish spouses and children of French immigrants will also find it difficult or even impossible to convert to Judaism because haredi rabbis have chosen to demand the strictest level of religious observance from converts on one hand and discourage and even exclude such conversions on the other, sources reportedly said.

Various haredi media outlets reportedly wrote that many of the immigrants would refuse to convert or would convert through Orthodox conversion courts that do not meet strict haredi standards. And either will lead to more mixed marriages in the future, they wrote. Therefore, French Jews should not be encouraged to move to Israel.

Yated Ne’eman, the newspaper-mouthpiece of the mainstream non-hasidic Ashkenazi haredi faction headed by Rabbi Aharon Leib Steinman, spoke with haredi rabbis perform conversions and asked if they thought the haredi public was prepared to absorb new immigrants from France.

The rabbis reportedly responded they were fearful that Jews who observe mitzvot (i.e., who are Orthodox or traditional) now in France would come to Israel, become involved with the secular Israelis and would then stop keeping Shabbat and would violate other mitzvot.

The #2 mainstream faction leader, Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, reportedly ruled that a person may only make aliyah "if he finds himself in a clear religious place."

Steinman, the supreme mainstream faction leader, reportedly said the call for immigration of Jews from France to Israel was "hasty.” There is no reason to make aliyah, Steinman said, “because the Messiah has yet to arrive." According to a report in the haredi Kikar HaShabbat website, Steinman also said that the security situation is difficult in Israel, too, and that Jews are also being murdered in Israel.

HaPeles, the mouthpiece of the non-hasidic Ashkeanzi haredi rebel faction headed by Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, also opposes bringing French Jews to Israel. It wrote that the call for French Jews to immigrate to Israel is really driven by Zionism’s power drunkenness, – which haredim oppose on theological grounds – not French Jews’ security needs.

Comments

[Elliot]

1933: Don't emigrate to America, it'll destroy your soul.

2015: Don't emigrate to Israel, it'll destroy our souls.

It almost makes pre-World War II Haredi leadership look altruistic.

[Michael-Meir]

Remind me again how the State of Israel was created so the persecuted Jews of the world would always have someplace where they are welcome.

The Haredi leaders are hijacking that mission. They are no better at welcoming Jews to Palestine/Israel than Great Britain was during the Mandatory Period.

[skepticfrum]

"There is no reason to make aliyah,... because the Messiah has yet to arrive. "

Sure, keep waiting for "ultraman"

[Yochanan Lavie]

There should be an effort to encourage chareidi freeloaders to make yerida to France.

[Jeff]

The chief rabbis should be encouraged to emigrate - to another planet.

[坏蛋]

Actually Agaf Hagiur (Conversion Department) and the Special Rabbinical Courts for Conversion are under Religious Zionists control.
A while back Ariel Sharon took it from the Religious Services ministry and put under the Prime Minister office and staff it with Religious Zionist rabbis with the hope of making conversion easier for FSU Immigrants.

Obviously it did not pan out as planned, not that Haredi control would be any better.

When Bayit Yehudi joined the coalition in 2013 they brought the Agaf Hagiur back to the Religious Services ministry and appointed Haredi rabbi (Yitzhak Peretz) to be the head of agaf hagior

[Nachum]

"a person may only make aliyah "if he finds himself in a clear religious place.""

This is against a very clear statement in the Gemara (and other places), namely, that it's better to live in Israel in a city full of idol worshipers than to live outside in a place full of religious Jews.

(Chazal knew of what they spoke: There were cities full of religious Jews in Bavel at the time, and the Sandhedrin itself was located in Tiberas, a non-Jewish city.)

[Jeff]

I haven't the slightest interest or respect for the ravings of religious ideologues - either those who lived centuries ago, or those who are currently living.

Israel is digging its own grave by giving these people as much power and influence as they have. They will be its destruction.

[Malka]

Many move to London.

[Rocky]

Jeff: Let's hope the French Jews are reading this website and are learning about the risks of moving to Israel. To me, it's a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire.

It has been over a year since Naftali Bennett's comments about the Haredim were published at jpost.com: www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Bennett-32-percent-of-grade-1-students-are-haredim-Israel-will-not-survive-without-their-integration-328663

Every French Jew considering a move to Israel ought to read them.

[Jeff]

Yes, and meanwhile, it's also been over a year since Lapid promised change, and nothing has happened to speak of.

[Yochanan Lavie]

London will be no better than Paris in a few years. Those who are moving to Montreal are safer.

[S M L]

I've taken any number of opportunities to leave comments in the NY Times and the Boston Globe about in opposition to the notion of French Jews migrating to Israel. If being persecuted as a Jew doesn't qualify one to be welcomed into Israel with open arms and no black hat passing judgment on the migrant then Israel has failed in its purpose as a Jewish homeland. Let any of the French who feel the need to leave Europe come here. Much better off that way. Let them come to New England - no significant Haredi craziness around here as in NY and, from what I know of it after 43 years of living here, a decent and welcoming Jewish population.

[Jeff]

"and, from what I know of it after 43 years of living here, a decent and welcoming Jewish population"

Well, you know by now that you and I disagree profoundly on that score (and I've been here for 58 years). They're far better off in NY.

[Bas Melech]

Evidently these rabbis don't believe in tshuvah. How do the know they new immigrants won't embrace charedi lifestyle? Maybe the rabbis should examine themselves to better understand the rejection of their "right" way of life.

Already these rabbis forgot that our enemies do not distinguish between religious and secular Jews. Today in countries outside Israel religious Jews try to force their standards, ignoring secular laws and regulations. For example, substandard education and construction of school buildings in England and the US.
Etc., etc.
The face of a bad Jew is the charedi, not the secular.

[Rebitzman]

They will marry Jewish - but their mistresses........?

[Alter Kocker]

Our Haredi brothers, packing their brethren into cattle cars for the trip to the crematoria since 1941.

Your ancestors helped kill 6 million because of their ridiculous beliefs, now you don't want French Jews in Israel. You leave then. Go to the desert, stay there.

[Sarek]

This must have been written by the same guy who wrote Bill Belichick's deflategate explanation.

[old time brooklyn]

come to ny yes - not kj or other ghettos - work, support families , join the usa - the only country in the world that welcomed Jews from the start. washington's letter to the congregation in Providence RI is policy and very moving

[Yochanan Lavie]

Maybe the Ashkenazi "gedoylim" don't want more North African Jews in Israel. (Most French Jews are of colonial North African origin).

[old time brooklyn]

yl - not sure about French jews but in a class in college there was an orthodox girl from France and the prof used to have to say - guys - i am up front. between the accent and her looks mama mia :)

[Shari]

Jeff-My father's family has lived in New England since 1928. My Bubbie and Zeyde scrimped and saved to buy a farm and escape from Brooklyn. And while I don't live on a farm, but in a town of 66,000, along with a number of my cousins, there's not enough money to pay us to live in New York. But different strokes for different folks.

[Allan]

@Old time Brooklyn “washington's letter to the congregation in Providence RI is policy and very moving”

It was moving indeed very moving. However George Washington’s famous letter wasn’t sent to Providence but to the Touro Synagogue in Newport, RI.

[Gay Frum Jew]

The Touro Shul is a lovely building. Men and women can walk together on the sidewalk...bliss

[Yosef ben Matitya]

I know, I know...
It's just like certain kind of sex might lead to mixed dancing!

[Yosef ben Matitya]

Because of that, top Ashkenazi haredi rabbis say Israel should not encourage their immigration to Israel because that immigration will inevitably lead to more intermarriage and assimilation.

Ashkenazi haredi rabbis ways and morality works like that. You see a rashah (non religious jew) falling in a well, you can't kill him, but you should remove the ladder lest his life be saved.
Very, very endearing people.

[old time brooklyn]

allan - i stand corrected it was newport where wife and kids saw it - thanks

[D]

the haredim will eventually destroy israel (yes they will beat the muslims to it).

the secular israelis are too busy being complicit with orthodox judaism to understand how dangerous haredi judaism is...

if israeli leaders had any clue about the dangers, they would make an effort to isolate the haredim into a section of israel that can later be turned into its own independent state (a jewish caliphate). Otherwise, the haredim will remain inside israel proper and will take the state down with them.

in terms of french jews, it would be ideal if the haredim were expelled never to return, and those houses could be used to house the new french immigrants.