Ellen Silman from Tsfat noticed this Yediot Achronot article and sent us an English-language synopsis:
Former [Sefardic] Chief Rabbi Bakshi Doron fires in all directions in an interview with the publication of the " Movement for Realistic Religious Zionism". Rabbi Doron comes out against Rabbanut marriage laws, dual positions for Sephardi and Ashlenazi Chief Rabbis and attacks National Religious party workers. He also claims that there is corruption in the religious councils.
He claims that marriage and divorce laws are not effective and lead to a hatred of Judaism. He claims that the thought that religious marriage laws prevent assimilation is an illusion. " The reality is that non-religious Jews who want to marry a non Jew ignore and by pass the law. To our dismay this law is one of the reasons for the claims of religious coercion. There is a large portion of the public that wants to get married and feels that this law stands in its way and they are correct".
As someone who sat in the Beit Din of the Rabbanut Rabbi Doron states that it is precisely this law that increases the number of mamzeirim in Israel. None of the Kibutznikim accept Jewish law in any event and it is this law that requires them to get married. A woman who has not married under Jewish law is still Jewish and her children are Jewish. Although this is not a good situation it is better than forcing her to be in a position of committing adultery and then she and her children are forbidden to marry. There is more than one or two such cases.
In summary Rabbi Doron claims that in the past this law helped preserve Judaism but now it forces people away from Judaism. People see that we need to preserve Judaism through political power and this is sad. No one forces anyone to have a Brit Milah yet in almost all cases it is done.
Rabbi Doron also comes out against dual positions for Sephardi and Ashkenazi Rabbis. This was a mistake right from the beginning he says. This duality is relevant only in the case of Rabbis of synagogues who lead a specific community and is not relevant for Cities or neighborhoods.
Regarding religious councils he states that everything is political and is based on the political power in a particular city. This has resulted in extensive corruption. He claims that 90% of the funding going to religious councils is being used to cover past debts and blames the National Religious party as well as Shas for this situation. The government provides sufficient funding to the religious councils but 80% goes to the political hacks of the National Religious party and Shas.
There are dozens of comments by readers to this article. Many express their thanks for his being so open and honest.
