תשובות בעת מלחמה (אנגלית), גיורCollected Responsa in Wartime, Conversions
א׳
1Question:
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2Should a chaplain accept candidates for conversion?
ג׳
3Answer:
ד׳
4A. Dr. Pool a year ago sent a statement to the chaplains recommending that they refrain from participating in conversions, but that whenever someone applies for conversion to Judaism the chaplain refer the applicant to a rabbi in a civilian community nearby. This statement by Dr. Pool covers our general attitude towards the performing of conversions by the chaplain, but it is a general attitude which cannot apply to all cases.
ה׳
5B. There may be certain cases, for example, when there is no nearby civilian rabbi available, the camp being isolated, or other cases arising from the special circumstances in the life of the couple concerned, where the chaplain may feel that he should convert the non-Jewish party of the proposed marriage. In these circumstances the chaplain should follow the conversion methods which are laid down by the group of which he is a member, giving special considsideration to the background of the Jewish party in the proposed marriage. It is understood, of course, that these circumstances will be exceptional and rare. In general we follow the principle laid down in Dr. Pool's statement that conversions be referred to civilian rabbis.
ו׳
6C. This opinion represents the opinion of two of the three members of the Responsa Committee. The full committee of the CANRA decided to send the following statement of Rabbi Jung:
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7D. "I should not like any chaplain associated in any manner with conversion. The matter is far too complex and too dangerous for any general decision even for exceptional circumstances."
ח׳
8The CANRA received a letter from Hawaii with regard to two cases of inter-marriage. In the first case, the girl is of Hawaiian-Portuguese-French extraction and has two children brought up in a Catholic school. In the second case the girl is white and Protestant. The Jewish Welfare Board representative asks what is to be done and what answer is to be given the women, both of whom desire instruction to prepare them for becoming proselytes.
ט׳
9The answer of the Committee is that the racial situation makes no difference, and that the general principles govern all conversions and inter-marriage. Therefore, we refer to the above answer on this matter.