The ITIM religious services and advocacy group has filed a petition with the High Court of Justice demanding that the Interior Ministry recognize Orthodox conversions performed in Israel in non-state Orthodox rabbinical courts.
The state conversion authority, which comes under the auspices of the Prime Minister’s Office, is the only body in the country through which an Orthodox convert can gain legal recognition that he or she is Jewish.
But many Orthodox conversion candidates have in recent years sought to convert in non-state Orthodox rabbinical courts, largely because of bureaucratic obstacles and inefficiencies in the state run system.
ITIM claims that the state has “implemented policies that reject converts out of hand, because of their personal status as tourists, students or spouses of Israelis,” and that this has given rise to increased demand for conversion in non-state Orthodox conversion courts.
Read More: @ jpost.com
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