A Note From The Chairman

Rabbi Prof. Avraham Steinberg, MD

Dear Colleagues,

The coming year is the 50th yahrzeit of the Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Herzog zt"l.
Yad Harav Herzog Institution – encompassing the Talmudic Encyclopedia and the Israeli Complete Talmud – is proud to carry the name of the late Chief Rabbi. In order to commemorate the multi-faceted activities of Chief Rabbi Herzog we are organizing an International Conference. This unique conference will deal in depth with various aspects of contemporary issues and halakhah. The goal of the conference is to bring under one roof the most important and influential Jewish-Orthodox organizations from Israel and abroad in order to clarify halakhic positions on a variety of modern-day topics. These include the following:

The Rabbinate, the Jewish-halakhic courts, Kashrut, as well as halakhic perspectives of the State, the military and science. The scientific topics include medicine, economy, ecology, agriculture and technology.

In order to derive the greatest benefit possible from the conference we have recruited the most authoritative Rabbis and best experts in the fields of science and law. We hope that all participants in this unique conference will enjoy a wonderful learning experience and will be enriched by the lectures and discussions. Anyone who is interested in comprehending the halakhic aspects of modern life is cordially invited to participate in this International Conference.

Respectfully,

Rabbi Prof. Avraham Steinberg, MD
Director, Yad Harav Herzog & Head, Editorial board of the Talmudic Encyclopedia
Conference Chairman

* * *

Date: 3 b'Kislev - 5 b'Kislev, 5769 / November 30 – December 2, 2008
Place: Yeshurun Synagogue, Jerusalem

Simultaneous Hebrew-English for all lectures

Day 1 (3 b'Kislev, 5769 / November 30, 2008):

Afternoon:

• 16:00 - 21:00 Registration and Distribution of Material

Evening:

• 18:30 Session A: Opening Session:
  Brief Greetings:
  Rabbi Prof. Avraham Steinberg, Director, Yad Harav Herzog; Head,
  editorial board of the Talmudic Encyclopedia; Chairman of the Conference,
  Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar, Chief rabbi of Israel
  Rabbi Yona Metzger, Chief Rabbi of Israel
  Minister Yitzhak Herzog, Minister of Welfare
  Mr. Zeev Bielski, Chairman, Jewish Agency and World Zionist Organization
  Mayor of Jerusalem
  Movie about Rabbi Yitzhak Herzog zt"l
  Lecture:
  Rabbi Israel Meir Lau - Chief Rabbi Y.I. Herzog zt"l: The Rabbinic leader during the Holocaust and the Establishment of the State of Israel
  Pirchei Yerushalayim Children's choir conducted by Chanan Avital
  Child singer Orad Katz
  Moderator: Mr. Michael Tuchfeld
• Maariv
• Refreshments

Day 2 (4 b'Kislev, 5769 / December 1, 2008)

Morning:

09:00 - 09:45 Plenary Session B: Leadership considerations in releasing captive soldiers -
halakhic aspects related to the release of Gilad Shalit - Rabbi Yona Metzger
Moderator: Rabbi Uri Dasberg

09:45 - 10:00 - Coffee break

10:00 - 13:00 Parallel Sessions:

1    Rabbinic Leadership

2    Halakhic Legislation

Chief Rabbinate of Israel + Rabbinical Council of America Scenarios related to community Rabbis - Aspaklaria Moderator: Rabbi Yechiel Wasserman Opening lecture: Rules of halakhic decision-making - Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef Panel discussion: Rabbi Yitzhak Peretz Rabbi David Stav Rabbi Yaron Ben-David Rabbi Shlomo Hochberg Rabbi Chaim Eisenberg

Jewish Legal Heritage Society - Prof. Nahum Rakover Moderator: Prof. N. Rakover Lectures: Justice Tzvi Tal: Overcoming statutory incapacity of judges and witnesses Justice Elyakim Rubinstein: Rabbi Herzog zt"l, The Establishment of the State of Israel and Jewish Law Lawyer Dr. Yaakov Weinroth: Law - Ethics and Morals Prof. Nahum Rakover: Can a President Return to His Position after Completing Punishment? Rabbi Dr. Ratzon Arusi: Financial Issues Between Couples Rabbi Hershel Schachter: The Law of the Land in the Law.

 

13:00 - Minchah at the Yeshurun Synagogue

13:15 - 14:00 luncheon break

Afternoon:

14:00 - 14:45 Plenary Session C: : Halakhah and Science - can they go together? - Rabbi Prof. Avraham Steinberg

14:45 - 15:00 - Coffee break

15:00 - 17:30 Parallel Sessions:

3    Medicine and Halakhah

4    Technology and Halakhah

Schlesinger Institute - Rabbi Dr. M. Halperin Moderator: Rabbi David Fuld Lectures: Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzhal: Determination of the moment of death Rabbi Yehoshuah ben-Meir: Ownership rights on frozen embryos and fertilized eggs Rabbi Prof. Yigal Shafran: Halakhic Aspects of Stem-cell Research Rabbi Menachem Burstein: Medico-halakhic dilemmas in the world of fertility - problems and solutions Rabbi Dr. Mordechai Halperin: The Dying Patient - Halakhic Aspects.

Zomet Institute - Rabbi Y. Rosen Moderator: Rabbi Uri Dasberg Lectures: Rabbi Eliahu Bakshi-Doron: Eiruvin in Jewish Communities in the Diaspora Rabbi Yaakov Ariel: Shabbat Arrangements in Institutions - Hotels, Educational Institutions, Kibbuzim Rabbi Avraham Yosef: The Use of House-Hold Electric Equipment on Shabbat Rabbi Yisrael Rozen: Innovative Technical Solutions in Security and Medicine accompanied by PowerPoint presentation.

5    Economy and Halakhah

6    Agricalture and Halakhah

Keter Institute - Rabbi Shlomo Ishon Moderator: Rabbi Shlomo Ishon Lectures: Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg: The halakhic status of corporations and non-profit organizations Prof. Yaakov Neeman: Economic issues in Rabbi Herzog's writings Rabbi David Bass: Wording of Contracts According to Jewish Law Mr. Beni Porat: Halakhic laws of price gouging as a challenge to modern economy Rabbi Shlomo Ishon: Halakhic Perspectives of Copyrights in the Hi-Tech Era.

Machon Le'chaklaut - Rabbi Yosef Efrati Moderator: Rabbi Saar Meisel Lectures: Prof. Elazar Goldschmid: Plant Genetics and law of Kilayim and Ethrogim Rabbi Shabtai Markowitz: Marketing of Shemita Products from Agricultural and Economical Aspects Rabbi Yoel Friedmann: Definitions of Intermediate plant species Agronomist Mordechai Shomron: Clean agriculture.

18:00 - Maariv

Evening:

Day 3 (5 b'Kislev, 5769 / December 2, 2008)

Morning:

08:30 - Buses to Gush Etzion 09:30 - 10:30 Tour: Rabbi Herzog Forest; Gush Etzion (Masuot Yitzchak) - planting trees(depending on weather conditions) Greetings: Mr. Avraham Duvdevani, Co-chair of the Jewish National Fund 10:30 - 10:45 - Coffee break 10:45 - 12:00 Session 7: The Techelet: Moderator: Dr. Israel Zeiderman Greetings: Mr. Shaul Goldstein, Head of the regional council, Gush Etzion Rabbi Shabtai Rappaport: The search after the techelet in the modern era - halakhic perspectives Dr. Baruch Sterman: Techelet - combination of Torah, science, art and history in light of Rabbi Herzog's research, accompanied by slides and a short film. 13:00 - 13:45 - luncheon break + Minchah Prayer 13:45 - Buses back to Yeshurun Synagogue

Afternoon:

15:00 - 15:45 Plenary Session D: Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar: Pre-nuptial Agreement
Moderator: Adv. Shalom Wasserteil

15:45 - 16:00 - Coffee break

16:00 - 18:30 Parallel Sessions:

8    The military and Halakhah

9    Rabbinical Courts(בתי דין)

Chief rabbinate of the Army Moderator: Rabbi Captain Shimshon Klein Lectures: Rabbi Brigadier General Avichai Ronski: Applying the halakhic rule "whoever is engaged in one mitzvah is exempted from another mitzvah" in the army Rabbi shlomo Aviner: Redeeming Captives and Releasing Terrorists Rabbi Dr. Mordechai Halperin: Identification of dead soldiers by DNA Rabbi Prof. Neria Guttel: The Independence War In Rabbi Herzog's Halakhic View - definitions and implications.

Chief Rabbinate of Israel - Rabbi E. Ben-Dahan Main Theme: For the benefit of the daughters of Israel Moderator: Rabbi Eliahu Ben-Dahan Lectures: Rabbi Shlomo Amar: Opening remarks Rabbi Shlomo Diechowski: The use of direct and indirect sanctions to coerce the giving of a get. Rabbi Zion Algrabli: Rules of decision-making concerning the coercion of get Rabbi Binyamin Be'eri: On the validity of an extortionist divorce agreement

10   Kashrut

11   Ecology

OU - Rabbi M. Genack Moderator: Rabbi Yosef Gliegsberg Lectures: Rabbi Zeev Weitman: The kashruth status of milk that was obtained on Shabbat in a forbidden method Rabbi Hershel Schachter: The Halakhic staus of enzymes in food production Rabbi Menachem Genack: Laws of cooked food by non-Jews Dr. Ari Zivotofsky: The mesorah and kashrut of exotic animals and birds.

Ministry of Ecology Chairman: Rabbi Moshe Erenreich Moderator: Mr. Reuven Robert Lectures: Rabbi Dov Berkowitz: The drive of consumerism and possessiveness and the economic crisis according to Tractate Pe'ah Rabbi David Aronowski: Water quality and prevention of contamination according to Jewish sources Panel: Ecology and Judaism MP Zevulun Orlev, MP Rabbi Moshe Gafni, MP Rabbi Michael Malchior, Mr. Yitzhak Meir, Mr. Yaakov Gutterman

Evening:

18:30 - Plenary Session E: Chief rabbis of Israel:
Rabbi S. Amar & Rabbi Y. Metzger
Refreshments
19:00 - Entrance of the Chief Rabbis of Israel