The Itim organization has petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court in an effort to compel the state to recognize private conversions to Judaism. The petition was filed on Wednesday 10 Adar 5773 by attorney Aviad Cohen against the Ministry of the Interior, which refuses to recognize giyur that was not approved by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.

There are state run giyur programs in Israel, which officially operate under the Prime Minister’s Office. Itim claims that as a result of the bureaucratic realities involved with the state-run program, many a candidate for giyur has sought out an alternative. In some cases, candidates complete giyur privately, bypassing the state system, including batei din run be gedolim such as the beis din in Bnei Brak of HaGaon HaRav Nissim Karelitz Shlita, whose giyur is also not recognized by the Ministry of the Interior. Despite having a certificate signed by a beis din like the one in Bnei Brak, these giyorim are not recognized and find themselves without a status, for if they are not Jews, they cannot receive citizenship under the Law of Return.

Itim explains the situation is absurd for one can complete the process in total compliance with the most stringent Halachos, without seeking any short cuts, yet s/he will not be recognized by the state as a Jew. This hold true regarding many frum conversions conducted in the USA and Europe as well. If the rav who signed the giyur is not on the list of those accepted, and the list is quite short, then the convert will have to start at the very beginning in the state’s eyes.

Itim explains that there is a growing number of people who prefer a frum private beis din that the state system and these people are now left without a status in the state’s eyes and they cannot receive benefits or legal status as a result.

Itim rejects the current situation in which “The Ministry of Interior becomes the highest posek” in matters pertaining to recognition of one’s conversion. Itim questions how a government clerk dares to make such decisions and on what basis are these clerks qualified to decide if giyur from Bnei Brak or elsewhere is acceptable or not.

Not related to Itim’s case but relevant to pointing out the absurdity of the entire state system is the fact that in many cases, giyorim converted by the state and/or IDF are not recognized as Jews when they approach a local Rabbinate to get married. State-employed local rabbonim decide if they will or will not accept the giyur of a candidate, even if said candidate holds a document attesting to his Jewishness signed by Rabbi Chaim Druckman Shlita, who ran the state giyur for a number of years.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)