Israel cannot be arbiter of conversions to Judaism

The firing of the director of the conversion department in the Prime Minister’s Office might seem to be a minor issue in the midst of Israel’s foreign policy and corruption crises. But the decision to fire Rabbi Chaim Druckman at the urging of ultra-Orthodox leaders should be a dramatic awakening to all Zionists in Israel – religious, traditional, and secular alike – that requires us to rethink our responsibility to the future Jewishness of the State, and the role of religion in Israel.