Facing reality

I write in regard to “Ivanka Trump is Jewish after all, says Chief Rabbinate” (December 8).

We are taught that Moses’s authority was derived from the people’s acceptance, not from a commandment from God. Similarly, the Chief Rabbinate and the rabbis who serve in various capacities in that organization, from the chief rabbis on down, must recognize that their authority derives from the same source.

The institution of the Chief Rabbinate has become increasingly controversial in the past few years. Its handling of conversion, kashrut, marriage, divorce and other religious issues has become increasingly divisive. The haredi community does not trust its kashrut standards; they insist on their own Mehadrin and Badatz certifications.

At the end of the article, your reporter states that the chief rabbis plan to hold a conference to address the issue of conversions. I applaud this plan and hope they continue in this vein to address other, similarly divisive issues.

The chief rabbis must face reality. Their authority as Jewish leaders to “determine” current Jewish law and practices is derived from the acceptance by the Jewish people to follow their directives. If they continue to distance themselves from this reality, their authority will weaken and become even more divisive. KAL FEINBERG Jerusalem