Suffern, NY – EJF announced that Rabbi Chaim Blum, EJF’s liaison to the network of Botei Din in the Torah community, has agreed to serve as interim director of EJF.
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The organization operates offices in the US, Europe and Israel with international headquarters in Monsey NY. In accepting the position, Rabbi Blum said: “The recent announcement by Rav Tropper that he is resigning his post at EJF is accepted with sadness and regret. The announcement by some of the world’s leading Torah authorities that they will take an increased role in the Eternal Jewish Family is testimony of the organization’s strength and commitment to its core mission. The many people who benefit from EJF’s activities should know that the organization remains fully committed to its important mission, one which has helped thousands of people in their pursuit of a Jewish life.”
EJF International is headed by distinguished halachic authorities around the world, including Rav Reuven Feinstein, Chairman of the Halachic Committee (US), Dayan Chanoch Ehrentreu (Europe) and Rav Shmuel Eliezer Stern (Av Bais Din of Rabbi Wosner’s Bais Din – Israel).
Statement by Rav Reuven Feinstein, President of Halachic Committee on EJF
I hope that Rav Leib Tropper’s decision to resign his position at EJF will serve him and his family well. At the same time, I have also agreed to take on a more active role in overseeing all of the halachic nuances of EJF in assuring that all universally accepted conversions are in compliance with the highest standards of halacha. I wish to reassure the community that EJF will continue to be guided by the highest halachic standards under the leadership of the Gedolei Yisroel. It should be noted that EJF has never been, and will never be, involved in the actual geyrus (conversion) of candidates. That function is left solely to the discretion of Botei Din. Our sole mission is to support those botei din in their work. The resignation of Rabbi Tropper in no way casts any cloud over the validity of any conversion performed by a Bais Din affiliated with or supported by EJF. Our role, as per the halachic rulings of Gedolei Haposkim, is to be mekarev the Jewish spouse in an intermarriage while referring the non-Jewish spouse to an independent Bais Din that will offer the geyrus candidate a universally accepted conversion in a case where both agree to a family life of Torah and mitzvos.
This is all very good news. We don’t have a mesorah of invalidating conversions. The fact that Rav Leib Tropper went as far as to invalidate conversions for women who were caught not covering their hair or occasionally wearing pants gave the organization a bad name. Rambam says that if a person worships avodah zara the day after his conversion he is still considered a Jew. Can’t take it away.
Is there any particular reason why Leib Tropper stepped down?
Since when is rabbi reuven Feinstein a posek, he is only a rosh yeshiva just like tropper, and r wachtfoigle, who all have huge financial resposabiltys to their mosdos…..
I don’t get it, Chaim Blum is the rosh yeshivas driver and shamos…
Can people please drop the “Rav” already. I dont know what’s worse, what he did or how other rabbis are trying to cover it up.
That misbehavior occurs in our machane is not unbearable. The unheard condemnation of the Torah leadership is very concerning. The message goes out from our gedolim that any misbehavior (of course other than mesira or loshon hara) is normative and acceptable. This is the comment of the gemoro: al Iyov she-shasak, Job was punished, to be the epitome of tragedy, for NOT SPEAKING OUT in protest. Rav Reuven Feinstein and his many colleagues who endorsed and supported this piece of dirt, had better say: ” we were misled: he’s a bad scoundrel!”
Where sexual favors are the price of (at least some) conversions other Orthodox rabbis will be examining the situation to determine whether a particular conversion is valid.
The only way to try somehow to lessen the HUGE chilul Hashem by Tropper is to come out publicly condemning him & REVOKING his semicha.
All the Rabbonim & institutions that he claims gave him Semicha should take out ads
in many Newspapers (free of charge) REVOKING his semicha & putting him in cherem.
This will be picked up by the secular media and at least they wont think that this conduct is condoned or swept under the rug by the orhodox Rabbis & the masses.
WHAT is going on with Rabbi Feinstein et al? They make it sound like nothing happened? !
So wait…. a few months ago this Tropper guy got into a big fight with an Israeli billionaire, now he magically has a career-ending scandal? Is anyone looking into this connection? Israeli billionaires are notoriously immoral and theres a big mob connection over there, I wouldn’t be shocked if this was set up(not to take away from the Rabbi’s guilt, but I bet theres more here)
This is a sad period for Torah observant Jewry. Maybe we should re-examine our entire derech and figure out what has gone wrong in this generation. We seem to have a new scandal almost monthly.
Another sad example of litvishe gedeilim covering up for one of their own. If this would happen to a controversial group heads would fly
Reply to #16 : 1. Please specify which Poskim disagree with the Gemara in Sotah.
2. There is an “Orthodox” community in NYC, Bet Simchat Torah that holds it is mutar to engage in immoral deviant behavior, so what does that prove?
I am very glad to hear that Tropper has been forced to resign.
There is an article on him in the New York Post, and several phone conversations on Youtube. It does not look good for R’ Tropper.
dear 9 and 4. how do u build up the cuptzpa to say tht about one of the posek hadar and rosh hayeshiva hadar i just had a conversation with the rosh hayeshiva my self in halcha and i tell u one thing he has the right to give a posak he is a huge talmid chachum u schould really ask mechilla from him ps. this is from s\o who knows first hand
First this:
“It should be noted that EJF has never been, and will never be, involved in the actual geyrus (conversion) of candidates.”
And then in the same press statement:
“The resignation of Rabbi Tropper in no way casts any cloud over the validity of any conversion performed by a Bais Din affiliated with or supported by EJF.”
Hakodosh Baruch Hu, I rest my case! All these rabbonim are the scum of the world!
First roshei yeshiva with zero knowledge of psak halocha run this complex halachik org and now the chaufeur runs the org. How low can it get? stay tuned. These rishoim have been whoring for money and commiting more sins in one hour than we will commit in a life time.
It’s obvious to even an outsider like me that the best thing to do in this case, among other actions, is to disband EJF immediately. It has lost its right to exist.
Sad state of affairs in the so splintered Jewish world.
Rabbi Tropper had a dream and great idea to unite all Gerous under one umbrella of perfect Chezkas Kasherous.
EJF closed down shop for many Batei Din and Rabbonim from performing sham “quicki conversions” and “conversions for cash”.
It is still a great idea with fine tunning perhaps with new leadership it can actualy be a reality.
wishfull thinking
Actions speak louder than words. The sudden resignation speaks volumes and raises troubling questions about what really happened. Even though nothing has yet been proven. hmm…
People, please!
Noone who is commenting on this site has the wherewithal to decide as to whether or not someone is a valid Posek/Talmud Chacham, or anything like that. People have spent their entire lives learning and doing G-d’s will, and some gossiper on an internet-site can call these Rabbonim “scum”?! Really?! I’m not sure why I’m even validating what that obvious low-life said, but we all need to reserve judgement on people who spend more time learning in a week than we do in a year. As (R’) Tropper proved, that is not necessarily a sign of piousness, but what if you make such a comment and are wrong??? Making a mockery of Gedolei Yisroel can’t be too favorable to G-d, right???
And who are we to decide whether or not a Rosh Yeshiva is “qualified”? If you don’t trust the opinion of a specific person, don’t ask him, but to make a blanket staement………
Not good.
Seems that people either don’t know Jewish history at all or have forgotten. Anybody hear of Shevna? Big Rosh Yeshiva. Had I think 175,000 talmidim. Poor Chizkiyahu Hamelech, unquestionably a tzadik, “only” had about 120,000. So of course he had respect and was afraid of Shevna. Shevna died with Sancherev. Chazal say because he was involved in immoral behavior. Rosh Yeshiva. 175,000 talmidim. Hey history don’t change. Only names and extent might change. Just because Tropper is a rav hagaon and a noted rosh yeshiva and does chesed etc, does not exactly allow him to engage in aroyos with a poor unknowing wannabe ger tzedek, even if it was consensual. Tropper ain’t holier than Shevna.
DID U SEE THAT ARTICLE???
caution before we condemm
reb reuven is trying to root out the bad w/o having all the good fall he is in a very difficult sitch.
tropper stepping down is the right thing but the ramifications of broadcasting the errors for the sake of “transparency” are far worse than seeming to cover up
I had been thinking of converting because I am getting married in May, but after reading about this, there is NO way I would consider it. My father was MO but my mother was Korean.
Chaim Blum please get out of this as fast as you can!!! Don’t bring shame to the Blum-Wachtfogel Mispochos
Guy is a complete loser,& they call people that drive on shabbos not religious.Throw him & his tramp out of the frum community.
It is time for Rav Feinstein to resign as head of the EJF. He has supported and encouraged Tropper for all these years, and helped him slander and malign many upstanding Rabbanim for the last few years. I guess it is true – “what goes around comes around”. He is complicit in these nefarious activities, and if he was a real godol, he would repudiate Tropper and step down
He wasnt oiver any issurim mishkav zochor is only osur with men. not with women. and telling someone you want to “shqueeze you” is not ossur. and calling someone darling is also not ossur so he can resign but he didnt do any issurim. he might not be a good role model but he wasnt oiver anything.