I ask historian Marc B. Shapiro: “What do you think of the RCA coming out with a quick statement that all of R. Freundel’s conversions are valid? I suspect haredim now have even more reason to dismiss all MO conversions.”
Marc responds: “Why shouldn’t they be valid. He was not a public violator of Jewish law, so as far as halakhah is concerned, what is done remains valid.”
Selwyn: “We should encourage converts – and welcome them in. Judaism is global (all peoples prayed at the Temple in Jerusalem), pro-peace (we pray for it constantly – in every service), the original environmentalists (Tu Bishvat ) and we have much to offer adherents and society. We also believe sincerely that any path to a legitimate peace-loving God is to be embraced.”
Chaim Amalek: Instead of calling this a “conversion,” I think we ought to follow modern idioms and call it a “neshama reassignment.” We would then call “converts” “TransYidden”.
