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Zionism and conversion

Question:

Can someone’s stance on zionism impact ones geirus? My cousin, who only has a Jewish father is currently going through a geirus. He has a strong attachment to the litvishe/yeshivishe world and his views on zionism are aligned with this movement. He is non-zionist and will only use the word Eretz Yisroel when referring to Israel. He was told by an Israeli couple that he’d better not convert and stay a non-Jew because of his stance.

Answer:

The main requirement of geirus is that he will accept upon himself all of the mitzvos, and act like a faithful Jew to H-shem, His torah, and His commandments. If he falls into this category, I don’t think that his veiws on the state of Israel are going to matter at all. Of course he has to go through the whole process, of milah and tevilah also.

Is this ger in Eretz Yisroel? If he is, or would like to have his geirus done there, he can contact the Bais Din of R’ Nissim Karelitz shlit”a to see if they will do it for him.

 

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2 Comments

  1. “act like a faithful Jew to H-shem, His torah, and His commandments”

    But Zionism is the opposite of being “faithful to the Torah,” as they [the Zionists] have rebelled against the 3 Oaths. And so said the Gaon HaRav A. Y. Karelitz (the Chazon Ish), that one who says Hallel on the Zionist Independence Day is a heretic.

    1. I think you misunderstood the answer. What I was saying is that the fact that someone doesn’t condon zionism, is not a reason that he should be denied ability to convert, as long as he is faithful to H-shem and the torah and the mitzvos.

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