The Beth Din takes pleasure in presenting this report to conference. It is not just to convey information about the work of the Beth Din to conference and thus also to the community at large about the work which is done in and by the Beth Din on a daily basis, it also affords us a brief respite in which to take stock of ourselves and pay attention to the multiple activities which constitute the work of the Beth Din. The Beth Din, as is surely well known, covers the whole spectrum of traditional Jewish practice and the report will thus refer to Gittin, Conversions, Kashrut, Dinei Torah, Marriages and General.

1. GITTIN

Applications for and the actual doing of Gittin take up a considerable amount of Beth Din time. In 2009 there were 70 gittin done in the Beth Din, in 2010 65 and to date this year 39. These figures are considerably less than in previous years, unfortunately not because divorce has gone out of fashion but simply because the community has diminished considerably and there is still a considerable exodus of our people from this country. It is to be noted that the figures referred to reflect the situation in our Beth Din which covers the whole of the county, but does not include the figures for Cape Town which does its own Gittin.

In recent years the Beth Din, especially the head of the Beth Din Rabbi M Kurtstag has become involved in mediation between spouses in the throes of divorce and this helps to ensure that a Get is eventually arranged. Also there is no doubt that the South African divorce bill, which has reference to this aspect of the divorce, has been of assistance in easing the processing of a Get.

Questions are often asked with regard to Gittin as to how long regard to how long a couple were married and what the age group for divorce is. The answer to these questions is simple – there is no generalisation where either is concerned. There is the marriage that has lasted for a few months or years or that has endured for many years even as much as 30 or 40 years and still ends in divorce, and the age group for divorce covers the spectrum of the young, the middle aged and even the elderly.

Arranging a Get often entails contact with Baitei Din in other parts of the world in a situation where one of the parties is no longer resident in this country. If the wife is out of the country the Get has to be written and sent to her in her place of domicile. If the husband is out of the country the Get has to be written where he is and sent here for delivery to the wife. This process entails considerable correspondence and phone calls in order to ensure that the matter is brought to finality.

2. CONVERSIONS

The Johannesburg Beth Din is responsible for conversions in the whole of South Africa except for Cape Town which does its own. In 2009 we did 26 conversions consisting of 6 constituting a whole family and 2 adoptions, in 2010 we did 39 conversions, individuals, and to date this year we have done about 39 conversions consisting of individuals and also a family of 3, husband wife and daughter and among the others there is actually a non-white woman.

The standard set for conversion is generally acknowledged as being high and exacting with regard to knowledge and particularly observance. A conversion is not finalised unless the Beth Din is reasonably satisfied that there is every prospect of the candidate leading an observant Jewish life. Where there is a Jewish spouse or potential spouse on the scene the Beth Din insists that the person becomes fully observant and knowledgeable because it is felt that the convert must have an environment which facilitates his / her observance. A convert must have support in order to fulfil his / her undertaking. From reports that filter through it appears that in a very considerable number of cases there has been success with regard to continued observance after the conversion. Perhaps, in part, one of the factors that facilitates this success is that certificates of conversion are not issued at least until a year after the conversion which gives the person time to adjust to this new lifestyle and also when there is evidence that the undertaking made at the time of the conversion is being carried out.

The Beth Din acknowledges the work done by the registrar of conversions Rabbi R Hendler, for ensuring that candidates and their partners are well prepared and are really ready for the final step when they are referred to the Beth Din.

3. DIN TORAH

There has been a considerable increase in the number of Dinei Torah in recent years and these also take a considerable amount of time of the Beth Din. It would appear that the community has become acutely aware of the fact that when Jews are involved in a dispute, whatever the nature of the dispute, it must be referred to the Beth Din to be adjudicated in accordance with Jewish law and must not be referred to the civil courts. Non-Jews have also become aware of the fact that when they are having a dispute with a Jew they can also resort to the Beth Din. Undoubtedly a further factor in referring disputes to the Beth Din is the fact that costs are considerably less than those involved in a civil case and also that a hearing in the Beth Din can be arranged in a much more reasonable time than in the civil courts

A Din Torah requires quite an amount of time before the actual hearing can take place and sometimes requires a measure of pressure on one of the parties when there is a certain reluctance to submit such jurisdiction.

With regard to this aspect of Beth Din work acknowledgment must be made of the excellent work being done by Rabbi Anton Klein who is responsible for all the preliminary preparations required in a arranging a Din Torah and generally for all his help in keeping the wheels of the Beth Din turning.

4. KASHRUT

The daily administration and running of a large kashrut operation is attended to by the kashrut department in the most efficient manner. The community surely must be aware of the fact that there is a whole spectrum of kosher products which are attended to by this department when you realise that the spectrum ranges from shechita through to sweets and chocolates. The Beth Din is , of course, very much involved in the kashrut operation and there is an internal weekly meeting between the Beth Din and the kashrut department which deals with all the various problems that may arise and often an emergency arises which has to be dealt with on an adhoc basis.

Tribute must be paid to all staff of the kashrut department for the work they do that is in no small measure responsible for the high standard of kashrut and the variety of kosher products which are available here second to none anywhere else in the Jewish world.

Tribute must be paid to the kashrut committee of the UOS and also to Mr Darren Sevitz, the executive director, for the efficient running of the kashrut operation.

Since the last conference kashrut was given its own administrative director who terminated his appointment at the end of last year and whose role has been taken over by Rabbi Talberg who is doing excellent work.

The Beth Din is pleased to associate itself with the tribute being paid to Rabbi Baumgarten for his 30 years of loyal and dedicated work with regard to kashrut and wishes him a hearty mazal tov and expresses the hope that he will continue this dedicated work for many years to come.

5. MARRIAGES

Conference is surely aware that a number of years ago a central office was established for applications for marriage and this has certainly contributed to expediting the authorising of marriages and has also helped to alleviate a situation where investigations are required before a marriage can be authorised.

The Beth Din goes to great lengths to ensure that a marriage can be authorised and where it is absolutely impossible to do so the Beth Din has very reluctantly and very rarely refused to authorise a marriage.

There is also a system whereby when a marriage has been solemnised the officiated Rabbi signs a document to this effect and this document is forwarded to the Beth Din for registration.

It is to be noted that a number of weddings take place where the parties are already living overseas but come back here to get married because perhaps some family is still here. In 2010 253 weddings took place and to date this year 178 have taken place.

This department is run by Reverend J Matzner whose dedication is much appreciated.

6. BETH DIN / CHIEF RABBI

A close and cordial relationship exists between the Chief Rabbi and the Beth Din and there is a mutual understanding and cooperation with regard to the spiritual requirements of the community. The Chief Rabbi and the Beth Din meet together regularly and especially when a situation arises that needs to be dealt with on an adhoc basis. The Beth Din and Chief Rabbi support one another in every way possible.

7. CONCLUSION

Since the last conference Rabbi D Baddiel has taken up his position on the Beth Din and has thrown himself into its work with great enthusiasm and devotion. He has integrated very well into the Beth Din and indeed into the community and his presence in the Beth Din has contributed in no small measure to the efficient working of the Beth Din in all fields of its activities. The Beth Din is pleased to have this opportunity to welcome Rabbi Baddiel into its ranks and expresses the hope that we will be able to work with him for many years to come.

The Beth Din pays special tribute to our own staff. The persons are Tessa Weinberg, Nirit Selbst, and Rose Karlik who has served us so well for many years. The Beth Din expresses its appreciation to the President, Chairman and Council of the union for the work they do in order to keep the wheels of the organisation running. The Beth Din also expresses its appreciation for the cordial relationship which exists between it and the organisation.

Finally, the Beth Din extends its best wishes to conference for meaningful and successful deliberations. We hope and pray that the union will continue to watch over its own requirements and attend to the needs of the community with the care and loyalty and devotion which has been the hallmark of its administration. We hope and pray that the community will continue to flourish and to grow in its loyalty to Torah and traditional Judaism. We hope and pray that peace shall reign in the State of Israel and that it will continue to prosper and flourish.

We conclude with best wishes to the community for the New Year which now looms on the horizon. We hope that G-d Al-mighty will steer the destiny of this community with His protective guidance and ensure its safety and continuity, and that He will cause his tabernacle of peace to rest upon our community and the whole house of Israel.

Rabbi Dr. D. Isaacs
DAYAN