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From: chefitz@harvard.ARPA (Harry Chefitz)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: Israeli basketball players
Message-ID: <96@harvard.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 2-May-85 18:47:11 EDT
Article-I.D.: harvard.96
Posted: Thu May  2 18:47:11 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 4-May-85 07:27:18 EDT
References: <25356@lanl.ARPA>
Distribution: net
Organization: Aiken Computation Laboratory, Harvard
Lines: 34

> I put the blame for this unfortunate incident on those hypocritcal
> rabbis that feign orthodoxy, and then sell the soul of the Jewish
> people for money.  This is the problem in calling for religious rule
> in the state:  one is simply exchanging one corrupt system for another.
> --
> bill peter                                 ihnp4!lanl!wkp

I also read the article in Sports Illustrated, but do not see where it
infers that the rabbis involved where "feigning orthodoxy."

On the conversion of John Irving, Sports Illustrated writes:

	"Irving says he was sent to a rabbi in Manhattan. The rabbi
	handed Irving a book entitled 'What Is a Jew?', asked him some
	perfunctory questions and told him to come back in a few days.
	On Irving's next vists, the rabbi talked to him for 10 minutes,
	shook his hand and said 'Welcome to Judiasm.'"

Unless Bill Peter has some more information about the matter that he
hasn't told us, how can he say that this rabbi was "feigning orthodoxy"?
The above tale does not sound anything like the orthodox conversions
I have been told about.

What these rabbis did was vile and disgusting.  Associating their actions
with those who would like religious rule in Israel is also wrong.  It is
precisely because of such horror stories that many want stronger adherence
to the principles of the Torah, especially in regards to conversions.


-- 
Harry H. Chefitz

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