‘Rabbis told Jews to shun Evangelicals’
Israeli rabbinic authorities have abruptly called on Jews to shun a major Christian tourism event, baffling and upsetting evangelical groups that traditionally have been big supporters of the Jewish state. More than 6,000 Christians from more than 90 nations are expected to arrive in Jerusalem this week to take part in the 28th annual Christian celebration of the weeklong Jewish holiday of Sukkot, or Feast of Tabernacles, according to the event’s organizers, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem.
But this year the chief rabbinate urged Jews to stay away from the event, saying some of the groups want to convert them to Christianity. Proselytizing is illegal in Israel.
“According to information that has reached the chief rabbinate, there are participants in this conference who convert Jews to Christianity and perform missionary activity throughout the year,” said Rabbi Simcha Hacohen Kook, the chief rabbi of Rehovot, who took part in committee discussions of the matter. “This is against the law, so the chief rabbinate is calling upon Jews not to take part in the conference.”
Israel has laws against missionary work, and for many here, proselytizing is dangerously close to the forced conversions European Jews endured for centuries.
The group’s organizers said they were upset by the rabbis’ call. “It is disappointing to learn that some rabbinic authorities are trying to discourage the Jewish public from participating in this traditional march,” said the Rev. Malcolm Hedding, the ICEJ’s executive director. “The ICEJ has never conducted any missionary programs in Israel and we clearly instruct our Feast pilgrims against such activity during their stay here.”
The ICEJ says its supporters do not accept teachings accepted by some other Christian groups that masses of Jews will die in the final climactic battle between God and Satan if they do not accept Jesus.
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Under Jewish law, a man can divorce a woman for any reason or no reason. The Talmud specifically says that a man can divorce a woman because she spoiled his dinner or simply because he finds another woman more attractive, and the woman’s consent to the divorce is not required. In fact, Jewish law requires divorce in some circumstances: when the wife commits a sexual transgression, a man must divorce her, even if he is inclined to forgive her.
jewfaq.org/divorce.htm
