Vaad appoints ombudswoman

Emily K. Alhadeff, Associate Editor, The Jewish Sound

Following the discovery of Washington, D.C. rabbi Barry Freundel’s breach of privacy for spying on women preparing for immersion in the mikvah and his subsequent arrest, the Rabbinical Council of America voted to appoint ombudswomen across the country to support women in the conversion process.

Every Beit Din (the Orthodox organization that handles conversion and divorce, among other Jewish legal issues) in the United States will select a woman to serve as a point person for female converts.

The Vaad HaRabbanim of Greater Seattle has announced that Elana Zana will fill this role. Zana is attorney with Ogden Murphy Wallace, where she focuses on issues around healthcare, telecommunications, healthcare information technology, and business.

“Elana is bright, perceptive, and she is a professional woman who can serve in this capacity in an excellent way,” said Av Beit Din Rabbi Moshe Kletenik.

The mikvah scandal proved how vulnerable female converts can be, and in the wake of the allegations a number of women came out expressing their frustrations during the conversion process. In an emergency meeting the RCA ruled that Freundel’s conversions remained valid, even though he had been stripped of his authority.

Rabbi Ron-Ami Meyers, of Congregation Ezra Bessaroth where Zana and her family attend, said “Elaza Zana is an individual with a sterling reputation; she is respected by those who have come to know her in the community and in the framework of both her professional and non-profit endeavors. When considering the Rabbinical Council of America request that each city choose an ombudsperson for women in the conversion process, we felt that Elana was a natural choice.”

According to a statement issued by the RCA, women will be given the ombudswoman’s name at the beginning of the conversion process, and concerns will not compromise the conversion process. Concerns will furthermore “remain confidential to the extent possible,” the statement read.