Ivanka: Israel’s Chief rabbinate is similar to Iranian Mullahs and does not represent us!

I’m a proud Jew who loves to shine the Jewish light onto the nations.

But today, the Israeli Chief rabbinate rejection of this remarkable woman, Ivanka Trump, makes me put my head down in shame.

Rabbi Lookstein who performed the conversion is a former Rabbi of one of the leading Orthodox synagogues in Manhattan and former principal of one of the preeminent Modern Orthodox schools,  the Ramaz School.

The decision of the Israeli religious court to reject Ivanka’s conversion to Judaism by this highly qualified and well respected Rabbi is a slap in the face to all Jews.

This action is nothing short of religious dictatorship.  I lived in Iran, I know.  I recall how the Mullahs ruled.

It’s the scream to stay in absolute power.  It’s the tyrannical desire to rule the masses.  It’s about the power to twist text into financial gains. 

It’s the old boy’s club and it is a slippery slope.  First, women can’t pray in certain ways.  Next, Reform and Conservative Rabbis have no religious rights.  Now, they shut down a prominent Orthodox Rabbi that is not part of the club.

Rabbinical Council of America, the largest American body of Orthodox rabbis has expressed regret over this decision.  The Jewish Federations of North America too voiced concerns about alienating all converts.

This ruling is not religion.  It’s not Judaism.

The Judaism of Abraham is an open tent.  The Judaism of Hillel is “love thy neighbor.”

We Jews are small in numbers and must not allow such radical groups to divide us.

Judaism belongs to all Jews- Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Jews by choice- all of us and not to the crooked Chief rabbinate!

Ivanka represents my Judaism.  The rabbinate does not!

“We’re pretty observant, more than some, less than others. I just feel like it’s such an intimate thing for us,” Ivanka told Vogue last year. “It’s been such a great life decision for me. I am very modern, but I’m also a very traditional person, and I think that’s an interesting juxtaposition in how I was raised as well. I really find that with Judaism, it creates an amazing blueprint for family connectivity.”  She has brought attention to Judaism in a respectful and empowering way.  Many of her female followers have been intrigued by her commitment to Jewish values.  She is a role model to many.

As