Israeli Chief Rabbinate Releases Standards for Recognizing Orthodox Converts

Israel’s Chief Rabbinate released their standards on Nov. 27 for recognizing those that have undergone a conversion to Orthodox Judaism.

According to the Jerusalem Post, the rabbinate’s criteria states that they will only recognize rabbinical courts that consist of three judges and convene on a regular basis. Rabbinical judges in courts that do not meet that criteria will have to undergo tests in Israel from the Chief Rabbinate for recognition.

Even if the rabbinical judges pass those tests, the Chief Rabbinate has to conclude that they liked the “impression” given by the judges to receive recognition.

The Times of Israel reports that under those standards, the rabbinate approved 70 Orthodox courts and 80 rabbinical judges; however, the Post notes that thousands of Orthodox-Jews –by-choice in the Diaspora would not be recognized under those standards because most Diaspora rabbinical courts do not convene on a regular basis.

The Chief Rabbinate’s criteria was made public after ITIM, a nonprofit that helps Jews with Israel’s religious bureaucracy, pressured the Rabbinate for years to do so.

“I am proud that ITIM’s steadfast public policy and legal work over the past six years has made the workings of the Chief Rabbinate more transparent,” Rabbi Seth Farber, the director of ITIM, told the Times of Israel. “This is the first step in improving relations between Israel and rest of the Jewish world.”