Proposed bill bans 'pressing' minors to become religious

Proposed bill bans 'pressing' minors to become religious
Knesset member says influencing involvement in Jewish tradition can 'damage' youth

JERUSALEM – A Jewish Knesset member yesterday proposed a bill to ban adults from "pressing" minors into becoming more involved in religion and Jewish tradition.

Ophir Paz-Pines, from Israel's Labor party, is seeking to pass legislation to prevent adults from attempting to increase or decrease the religious involvement of anyone under the age of 18. Labor is the main coalition partner in Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government.

According to Pines' bill, influencing the religious involvement of children can "cause the break-up of a family and cause damage to minors."

The bill was seen as targeting religious youth groups and outreach movements such as the Chabad organization, which runs programs for young Jews. Among Chabad's most successful campaigns here are street booths throughout the country that distribute Shabbat candles to Jewish girls and aid boys over the age of 13 in donning tefillin, or Jewish prayer phylacteries. The boys wrap the tefillin on their hands and head and say a prayer.

Rabbi Joseph Garlitzky, head of Chabad in Tel Aviv, accused Pines of "trying to rip apart the very fabric of Israel's foundation."

"It is the height of absurdity that here in the Jewish state a Knesset member would propose a bill like this," Garlitzky told WND. "The Knesset should be seeking ways to increase mitzvos (acts of loving kindness) among youth, not trying to ban them. And doing mitzvos in Israel has special holiness,"

Asked about Pines' contention youth may be coerced into making decisions regarding religious involvement, Garlitzky replied, "That is ridiculous. These youth know exactly what they are doing when they put on tefillin or light Shabbat candles at home. They have more ability to differentiate between good and bad than Pines."

Rabbi Shalom Butman, a prominent Chabad leader here and head of a tefillin campaign in central Tel Aviv, told WND Pines bill is "anti-Semitic."

"This is a very negative law, but even if it is somehow passes in the Jewish state we will not stop our activity. We are not pushing ourselves on anyone. Most of the time the youth come up to us and ask us to help them. They put on tefillin with much pride and happiness," said Butman.

So far there has not been much outcry regarding Pines' bill from the Knesset's religious nationalist camp.

Several senior leaders of the National Religious and Shas parties were not even aware of the proposed bill until being contacted by WND.

One Knesset member, speaking on condition his name be withheld, said his colleagues are often unaware of many proposed bills.

Effie Eitam, leader of the National Union party and one of the most prominent religious Knesset members, told WND "this bill doesn't interest me."