A Step Back in Time: The List of 50

In 2006, the Israeli Chief Rabbinate announced they would only accept conversions from a select list of Rabbis around the world, until conditions changed for conversion. What prompted the announcement is still a widely debated topic, though most credit Rabbi Nachum Eisenstein with urging major names like Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar to no longer accept conversions conducted by Modern Orthodox authorities in the United States.

This list, which was never intended to be published, appeared on several websites and blogs three and a half years ago as naming the select 50:

Australia Rabbi S. Gutnick, Rabbi Baruch Lashs (apparently, retired and left Sydney), Rabbi Moshe Gutnick

Italy Rabbi Elihu Toaff, Rabbino Alberto A. Piatteli Rome
Rabbi G. Garelik Milan

Argentina Rabino Shlomo Ben Hamu

Brazil Rabbi E. B. Valt

United States of America Rabbi Y. Grumer, Rabbi J. Blum Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Rabbi Gedalia Dov Schwarz, Rabbi Y. Weinkrantz, Rabbi Shmuel Fuerst Chicago, Ill.
Rabbi Ilan D. Feldman, Rabbi S. Khoshkrman Atlanta, Georgia
Rabbi Hillel Klavan (now retired) Washington D.C.
Rabbi S. Maimon Seattle, WA
Rabbi Menachem Senderovic Milwaukee, WI
Rabbi Neta (sic) Greenblat Memphis, TN
Rabbi Sholom Rivkin St. Louis Missouri
Rabbi I.M. Levin Southfield, MI
Rabbi Abraham Halbfinger Boston, MA
Rabbi Y. Rotenberg, Rabbi M. Feldman (retired to Sydney, Australia – AR)Baltimore, MD
Rabbi E.M. Teitz Elizabeth N.J.
Rabbi Yonah Reiss, Rabbi Yehuda Korczak, Rabbi Elimelech Bluth, Rabbi Aaron Stein, Rabbi S. Herbst, Rabbi C. Kohen, Rabbi Chaim Ganzwieg, Rabbi Aryeh Ralbag, Rabbi Mencahem Zilber, Rabbi Abraham Izdabye, Rabbi Yosef Heller, Rabbi A. Hatchuel, Rabbi S.J. Landesman, Rabbi Peretz Steinberg New York
Rabbi David Lehrfield North Miami Beach Florida
Rabbi A. Brisman Philadephia PA
Rabbi Abraham Union, Rabbi G. Cohen Los Angeles, CA

Belgium Rabbi Eliyahu Sternbuch, Rabbi Yitzchak Tuvia Weiss, Rabbi David Leiberman, Rabbi J. Cohen Antwerp
Rabbi I. Chaikin Brussels

United Kingdom Rabbi Chanoch Ehrentreu, Dayan E. Pdwa, Rabbi Y. Lichtenstein London
Rabbi Y. Refson Leeds
Rabbi G. Kraus Manchester

South Africa Rabbi Moshe Kurchak Johannesburg

Holland
Rabbi Meir Just Amsterdam

Venezuela
Rabbi Yizchak Cohen Caracas

Turkey
Rabbi David Asseo Rabbi Yitchak Chaliba Istanbul

Mexico
Rabbi S. Tawil Rabbi D. Malech Rabbi Smolienski

Morocco
Rabbi Shimon Suissa Casablanca

France
Rabbi Yaacov Medar, Rabbi Nissim Ravivo, Rabbi Mordechai Rotenberg Paris
Rabbi J. Tubul Lyon
Rabbi Mordechai Zekbach, Rabbi S.A. Schlesinger Strasbourg

Canada
Rabbi A.D. Niznick Montreal
Rabbi M.Z. Ochs Toronto

Russia Rabbi Pinchas Goldshmidt Moscow

Switzerland Rabbi Shaul Briish, Rabbi Daniel Levi Zurich
Rabbi Yisrael Levinger (apparently, retired to Israel) Basel
Rabbi A.Y. Schlesinger Geneva