Resolution Adopted by the CCAR
Law of Return
Adopted by the CCAR at the 98th Annual Convention of
the Central Conference of American Rabbis
1987
BACKGROUND. The Law of Return, by offering citizenship to all Jews who choose to settle
in the Jewish State, is an expression of the intimate ties that bind the Jewish people
to the State of Israel. In 1984, Rabbi Yitzhak Peretz, Israel’s Interior Minister, did by administrative fiat what Israel’s Orthodox parties had been unable to do
by legislative action: he stopped enforcing the law, and refused to register Reform
and Conservative converts who had immigrated as Jews. Subsequently, he suggested
that converts be registered, but that the word convert
be added in parenthesis after the name. Peretz’ actions were challenged in court,
and were overturned by a decision of Israel’s High Court of Justice.
BE IT RESOLVED that
1. The Central Conference of American Rabbis hail Israel’s High Court of Justice for
rejecting efforts to undermine the Law of Return through administrative action, and
for reaffirming unequivocally that the law of the Jewish State is the civil law as
determined by the Knesset, and not the Halacha;
2. The CCAR call upon the Prime Minister and the Acting Interior Minister of Israel
to carry out the Court’s directive without delay, and to register promptly all Reform
and Conservative converts who apply for citizenship under the Law of Return;
3. The CCAR urge members of the Knesset to resist continued legislative attempts to
amend the Law of Return, or to circumvent it by passage of the proposed Law on the
Jurisdiction of Rabbinical Courts; and
4. The CCAR congratulate the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism and the World
Union for Progressive Judaism for initiating the legal challenge to Peretz’ policies,
and the Association of Reform Zionists of America for financing the court case.