Chuck Davidson, at The Blogs

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Nov 9, 2017, 7:11 AM

An Open Letter of Encouragement to JFNA

On the eve of Mikhail Gorbachev's first visit to the US in 1987, 250,000 activists marched on Washington DC to demand freedom for Soviet Jewry. (Courtesy of the National Conference on Soviet Jewry)

The draconian demands of the Israeli Rabbinate prevent 350,000 Russian Jews from living fully in Israel

Jun 1, 2017, 10:54 AM

Conversion and Rabbinic incompetence – a response to Rabbi Chaim Navon

In a Times of Israel blog posted last week, Rabbi Chaim Navon writes: "Mention should be made of a sole dissenting opinion of Rav Uziel, who went as far as to say that acceptance of the mitzvot is not required...

Dec 22, 2016, 5:47 PM

An open letter to Rabbis Shmuel Goldin and Leonard Matanky

3 questions on the RCA standardization of conversion and a suggestion to resolve the issues for once and for all

Dec 21, 2016, 2:33 PM

Ivanka Trump’s conversion — A window into rabbinic politics

Centralized, standardized conversion leaves much to be desired, but, boy, is it a window into rabbinic politics!

Jun 26, 2016, 4:11 PM

Ivanka Trump and rabbinic corruption

The RCA, the very group that created an exclusionary conversion system, has the gall to express 'regret'? Chutzpah!

May 14, 2015, 11:09 AM

The perversion of conversion: Freundel as a symptom

The conversion system breeds abuse -- the remedy is to bust the Chief Rabbinate's monopoly over the process

Mar 3, 2015, 1:48 PM

Rabbi Aviner on Conversion Politics Not Halakha

Last Shabbat, February 28, 2015, a pamphlet publicizing Rabbi Shlomo Aviner's opinions on a wide range of issue was distributed in synagogues throughout Israel. Among other issues, Rabbi Aviner expresses opposition to the conversion law passed as a cabinet decision...

Jan 21, 2015, 3:00 PM

It’s time to decentralize conversion

The solution to Israel's conversion crisis is for rabbis to take the traditional Jewish approach: go rogue

Jan 8, 2015, 5:21 PM

The Rabbinate’s game of deceit

In adopting the most stringent approach to conversion, Israel's rabbis turn all involved into liars

Dec 23, 2013, 12:36 PM

Halacha for the people

Recently, Rabbi Yoni Rosensweig posted an Internet article in which he explains how and why he permitted himself to turn on a room heater on a snowy winter Shabbat. There are poskim who permit his approach. Why, then, did...

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About Me

Rabbi Chuck Davidson is an Orthodox rabbi working to promote freedom of religion in Israel. Among his activities toward that end, Rabbi Davidson has led efforts to create alternatives to Israel's Chief Rabbinate in the fields of marriage and conversion to Judaism.