Supreme Court Recognizes Private Conversions for Immigration Purposes
Translated & summarized from Srugim by baba
Israel's Supreme Court has ruled that private Orthodox conversions performed by Rabbi Chaim Amsellem's "Ahava HaGer" court will be recognized for immigration under the Law of Return. The decision, which rejected an appeal by the Population and Immigration Authority, was praised by conversion organizations as a step towards recognizing converts. The court cited historical Jewish texts on the importance of accepting converts, while critics noted the ongoing lack of a state conversion law.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Supreme Court recognizes private Orthodox conversions for Law of Return immigration.
- The ruling applies to Rabbi Chaim Amsellem's "Ahava HaGer" conversion court.
- The decision was unanimous and rejected an appeal by the Population and Immigration Authority.
- The court cited Maimonides and the Talmud on the importance of accepting converts.
- Conversion organizations criticized the state's delay in establishing a formal conversion law.
Israel's Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Thursday that private Orthodox conversions performed by Rabbi Chaim Amsellem's "Ahava HaGer" court will be recognized for the purpose of obtaining immigrant status under the Law of Return. The ruling came as the Population and Immigration Authority appealed a lower court decision. The panel of justices included President Yitzhak Amit, Justice Yael Vilner, and Justice Khaled Kabub.
The appeal stemmed from a petition by Rozni Michal Reis, a Filipino citizen who worked as a caregiver in Israel and underwent conversion in 2018. The court found "Ahava HaGer" to be a serious Orthodox court that rigorously examines the sincerity of converts, and stated there was no justification to differentiate it from the "Giyur Kehalacha" network, which was previously recognized and also involves Rabbi Amsellem as head of its rabbinical court.
President Amit emphasized the relevance of accepting converts, particularly in the current era, quoting Maimonides and the Talmud on the lenient approach to conversion. He cited the passage: "What did you see that you came to convert? Do you not know that Israel in this time is distressed, oppressed, and driven away, and suffering descends upon them? If he says, 'I know and am not worthy,' he is accepted immediately."
Rabbi Dr. Shaul Farber, chairman and founder of the "Itim" organization and the "Giyur Kehalacha" network, criticized the state's approach, calling the Supreme Court's need to cite Maimonides a "certificate of shame" for the Jewish state. He noted that ten years after the "Reggev" ruling, there is still no conversion law, the state conversion system has had an acting head for over three years, and resources are being wasted fighting recognized Orthodox conversion courts. Farber stated that "Itim" and "Giyur Kehalacha" will continue to fill the void as long as the government fails to do its job and fulfill the Torah commandment to "love the stranger."
Attorneys David Amsellem, Rabbi Amsellem's son, and Lior Koren represented the "Ahava HaGer" court and Rabbi Amsellem. David Amsellem explained that sincere conversions performed by a recognized Orthodox rabbinical court can now lead to citizenship under the Law of Return, resolving a long-standing issue for many deserving individuals previously denied recognition by the state.
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