1. 1958 - The National Religious Party (NRP) resigns from the government - David Ben Gurion

Up to 1958, it had been possible to avoid taking a decision on the question of "Who is a Jew?", despite an Agudat Israel proposal to use the halachic definition. The crisis erupted over the registration of Israeli residents:

When it was disclosed that the director of the Registration Division of the Interior Ministry had issued instructions to registration clerks not to accept declarations by new immigrants (as had previously been the case) but to check out their statements, Israel Ben-Yehuda, the Minister of the Interior, together with the Attorney-General, issued instructions to the effect that an Interior Ministry clerk must accept the immigrant's declaration in good faith, without requiring additional proof, and must register the immigrant accordingly. The intention was to avoid making life difficult for immigrants from the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.

As a result of these instructions, National Religious Party members resigned from the government. In the wake of the uproar over the government's decision, Prime Minister Ben-Gurion approached a group of eminent Jewish scholars from Israel and abroad for their views on the "Who is a Jew?" issue

The letter requesting their opinions refers to the problem of registering the children of mixed marriages, where both parents wish their children to be registered as Jews, but the mother is not Jewish and has not converted. In his letter Ben-Gurion stresses that for security reasons it was necessary that Israeli residents bear identity cards in which both "community" and "nationality" are registered.

In his guidelines, Ben-Gurion asks for an answer that will fit in with tradition as accepted by all Jewish groups, by all streams of both orthodox and liberal Judaism, as well as Israel's special situation as a sovereign Jewish state guaranteeing the freedom of conscience and religion and as the center for the ingathering of the exiles.

Ben-Gurion stresses that Israel's legislation prohibits discrimination between individuals on the basis of differences of race, color, nationality, religion, or sex, but that one paramount right exists for Jews alone. Under the Law of Return, Jews (as opposed to non-Jews) do not require permission to immigrate and receive citizenship immediately upon arrival in to the country and expression of their desire to establish residence.

Most of those consulted endorsed the NRP's position. This came as no surprise, because the positions of those responding were known in advance. The instructions of the Minister of the Interior and the Attorney-General were withdrawn.

Background questions for examination and analysis of the issues:

1. What was the outcome of the particular "case"?
2. What was the outcome of the episode?
3. Explain the underlying problems which were revealed - submit your explanations to the network.
4. How would you have suggested handling the case that you have chosen? Why? Submit your suggestions to the network.
5. React to the conclusions of your fellow students in class, in the group and on the network.
6. How would you explain the differences in opinions and suggestions?
7. And now - after hearing out all the other participants, reading opinions and suggestions which differ from your own - has anything changed in your positions, your opinions and your suggestions? Why? How do you feel? Submit your thoughts and ideas to the network.