Chief Rabbi of Israel HaGaon HaRav Dovid Lau Shlita overruled a decision by the Petach Tikvah Rabbanut, explaining the Chief Rabbinate of Israel accepts the giyur performed by Rabbi Haskel Lookstein of the USA. The Petach Tikvah Rabbanut recently rejected a giyores who was converted by Rabbi Lookstein.
Rabbi Lookstein is also the Rabbi who converted Ivanka Marie Trump, the daughter of Republican party hopeful Donald Trump. Rav Lau explains that the Chief Rabbinate of Israel recognizes Rav Lookstein’s conversions including Ivanka Trump.
Rabbi Lau sent a letter to Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein and opposition chairman MK Yitzchak Herzog stating “I received your letters and the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and the Batei Din are separate entities.
Rav Lau adds the Chief Rabbinate Council will be convening soon and one of the items on the agenda is an appeal of the Petach Tikvah Beis Din’s decision, expressing confidence the Chief Rabbinate’s position on the matter will be made clear in that forum.
Regarding the female giyur from Petach Tikvah, both Edelstein and Herzog turned to Chief Rabbi Lau regarding the decision, explaining why he responded to both of them in his letter.
The Chief Rabbinate Council is currently scheduled to convene on Wednesday, 1 Rosh Chodesh Tammuz at which time the decision of the Petach Tikvah Rabbanut is likely to be overturned.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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11 Responses
if the RCA doesn’t recognize him how can rabbi lau recognize him #somethingnotright
So Rabbi Lau accepts conversions performed by Rabbi Lookstein. At least that’s what he must say as Chief Rabbi… But would he accept a convert performed by Rabbi Lookstein for marriage to his child?
Look at Trump’s daughter walking around with arms, body and head uncovered and appearing anything but Jewish. It’s bad enough when FFB Jewish women walk around untzniusdik, do we need people joining our nation looking like this as soon as they convert? If converts are not leading an Orthodox life, who knows how Shomer Shabbos they are?
I am appalled that someone masquerading as a goy, as Ivanka Trump, is an accepted convert! What sort of rabbonim are these. Maybe their wives dress like her!
Aryeh, it’s doubtful that lack of tznius is evidence against kabollas maitzvo, let alone proof.
maitzvo = mitzvos
Being as Tznius contains positive and negative commandments, it goes to say that one who disregards Tznius is certainly evidence that at this moment they are not accepting G-D’s commandments. Whether at the time of conversion one did accept all G-D’s commandments and became a “mumar l’davar echad” at a future point in time… That one cannot know with certainty
#1- As far as I can tell, Rabbi Lookstein is a member in good standing of the RCA. the only issue that I am aware of is when he chose to participate in a prayer group with President Obama and the RCA released a statement to the effect that Rabbi Lookstein was doing so privately and not as a representative of the RCA.
Arye; We’re better off not looking!
Not sure what the whole hock is about. They stated pretty clearly as to the reason for not accepting the giyur and it has nothing to do with rabbi lookstein.
Sorry, but the congregation this “Rabbi” hosts does not look to me orthodox at all.. Check the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_a3XEwOveA
No modest clothing on women, women singing with men in front of all.. Not shomer negiah. Also you can find pictures of woman carrying sefrei Torah (just search for images on google). So, why this called “orthodox rabbi” should be recognized?, to mee looks the same that reform or conservative.
I guess Rabbi Lookstein forgot to tell the young woman that issues in the Rabonut go smoother with a few envelops containing green paper