What it takes to be a 21st-century dayan
Here are two questions put to me recently as the head of the London Beth Din (LBD). Can our kashrut authority (KLBD) include in its kosher guide a product which is entirely kosher, but is vegan “crispy prawns”? Are there any circumstances whereby Jewish students studying veterinary science could assist in neutering cats, given the Talmud teaches that we cannot castrate animals (Shabbat 110b)?
No two days are the same in the LBD which makes the work of a dayan endlessly interesting: you never know what will arrive in your inbox. Phone lines carrying urgent need-to-know-now questions from a matzahbaking factory, a mikveh and a cattle-slaughterhouse, can all ring at the same time.
The scope of the Beth Din’s work is vast. Should a Jewish marriage sadly break down, we ensure a divorce is carried out correctly (gittin). Where there are questions of Jewish status (birur yahadus), we carry out complex genealogical research which can span centuries and continents.
When disputes occur in business or elsewhere, we carry out hearings for civil disputes (dinei Torah); rulings are binding on both parties under English arbitration law. We give guidance and tuition to those wishing to convert to Judaism (giyur), ultimately testing their knowledge and sincerity.
These are all highly sensitive areas of work. Let me share two real examples to illustrate the complexity.
The Beth Din was approached by a group of Afghans who claimed to be Jewish and wanted help ratifying their Jewish status. Naturally, we wanted to help. The only problem with their story was that they weren’t Jewish in the slightest and were trying to pull the wool over our eyes and those of the Home Office in order to be granted asylum in the UK.
Conversely, a young woman came to the Beth Din who wanted to get married in an Orthodox shul. Her parents, grandparents and great-grandparents were all committed Catholics and had been married in churches. However, with the assistance of our record researcher, we proved conclusively that her maternal great-great grandparents were Jewish by finding the documentation from their wedding, meaning, of course, that she was Jewish too, despite being the fifth generation of a Christian family.
British Jews rejoiced in May when we were able to announce that Skittles are kosher. Access to kosher food is a cornerstone of Jewish life. Through KLBD we license shops and bakeries while the Really Jewish Food Guide lists thousands of kosher products readily available in mainstream supermarkets, so that it is possible to keep kosher whether you live in a small or large Jewish community. KLBD produces a Kosher Nosh Guide every summer, which lists the latest kosher sweet treats.
We also inspect modern factories across the world which make products for the kosher consumer and we kasher facilities producing kosher-for-Pesach food. As members of the rabbinic authority of the London Board of Shechita, we ensure the community always has a reliable supply of kosher meat and poultry.
We are a resource for community rabbis around the world, answering their she’ailos (questions) on tricky situations which arise. We are also the religious body
for the Initiation Society, determining on all issues relating to circumcision including the provision of a religious test for all mohelim before they can practise.
The Beth Din has built and maintains nearly a dozen eruvin, boundaries in which Jews can carry on Shabbat, which enable families with young children to attend shul on Shabbat and people in wheelchairs to be part of the community.
We give halachic guidance for all issues relating to burial and cemeteries, recently overseeing the building of structures that will ensure Cohanim can visit loved ones. In particular, we expended much time and effort on the exceptional new facilities at Bushey New Cemetery to ensure the state-of-the-art buildings and equipment are all in accordance with halachic practice and custom.
We give input into government consultations on issues which have religious impact; recently these have included the conduct of coroners, organ transplants and proposed new marriage certification.
The LBD has just embarked on a recruitment process for a new dayan. We seek someone of the highest calibre, able to judge with both justice and compassion. Candidates will need to have an advanced knowledge of Jewish law and also possess a sensitive and empathetic approach. A good understanding of the British Jewish community is also crucial.
I am under no illusion the criteria in the job description are demanding. However, we owe it to British Jewry to protect the integrity of the venerable institution of which we are but guardians. This will ensure that the standards of Jewish law and practice that have preserved the true identity of the Jewish people from time immemorial, continue to do so to the future and will guarantee the flourishing of Jewish life in the UK.
With the help of God, the LBD will continue to serve the British Jewish community faithfully until the time we merit the coming of Moshiach, when together with the Temple, a Sanhedrin of 71 dayanim will once again radiate the light of Torah and halachah to all of Israel and the world.
We proved she was Jewish despite being the fifth generation of a Christian family’