Intro 23/08/07

Dear Members,

Please find attached two articles for your interest this week. The
first piece is about a proposed new Conversion Authority that will
attempt to improve the Orthodox conversion process. This has come about
in the wake of a committee working on a solution to the conversion
problems facing approximately 300,000 immigrants from the Former Soviet
Union. Whilst this new committee will address the Orthodox conversion
process it will not deal with the issue of Conservative or Reform
conversions.

The second article is an opinion piece written by Dan Ben-David an
Economist at Tel Aviv University. He argues that there are three
different alternatives fighting against each other to define for now and
the future what it means to be Jewish in Israel.

We hope hope you find these articles of interest, please share any
comments you may have.

Shabbat Shalom,

Charlie Gluckman and all at Pro zion