The Supreme Rabbinical Court has decided not to recognize conversions performed by US rabbi Haskel Lookstein.
At an appeal hearing regarding the conversion of an American-Israeli woman identified only as Nicole, the court upheld a lower ruling by the Petah Tikva rabbinical court not to recognize her as Jewish. She will be forced to undergo a giyur l’chumra, namely an expedited conversion to Judaism.
Nicole and her fiance agreed to the compromise by the court so as to be able to get married.
The rabbinical court says in a statement they believe she is sincere in her commitment to Judaism. But they say they don’t recognize Lookstein’s conversions, and since the Chief Rabbinate does not have a formalized list of rabbis abroad who may perform conversions, all conversions done outside of Israel must be appraised on a case-by-case basis.
The Chief Rabbinate protested this ruling, saying it was incorrect.
American immigrant Nicole and her Israeli fiancé Zohar. Engaged in April 2016, their marriage has been put on hold because the Israeli rabbinate rejects Nicole’s US Orthodox conversion. (courtesy)
“I feel degraded. Essentially, they are saying they don’t recognize my Judaism,” says Nicole, according to a statement. “I love Rabbi Lookstein, he’s my rabbi, he brought me into the world as a Jew, and I don’t want his conversions not to be recognized.”
“I ask that even if I go through the process today, recognize Rabbi Lookstein’s conversions. If you don’t recognize the conversions, then know that I — and many other people — will lose faith in the rabbinate.”
Lookstein also oversaw the conversion of Ivanka Trump.
After Israel’s Chief Rabbinate rejected a conversion performed by prominent Modern Orthodox Rabbi Haskel Lookstein (right), Jewish Agency for Israel Chairman Natan Sharansky (left) protested on his behalf. (Ben Sales/JTA)
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From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
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