Dozens of members of the Petach Tikvah Ethiopian community protested outside the local Rabbanut on Sunday 12 Elul after the local rabbinate ruled they will not accept the Jewishness of the community when members wish to register to get married.

Community leaders allege the local rabbinate does not recognize them as Jews. Some add that it is even more absurd for those who underwent giyur and were signed off by Rabbi Chaim Druckman Shlita since that is the official state giyur and now the state agency refuses not to recognize the conversion. They add the local rabbinate is also acting in contradiction to a Supreme Court decision on the matter.

Signs carried by protesters included “We too are Jews and are entitled to get married K’das Moshe Visrael”. They are accusing the Petach Tikvah Rabbanut of racism. The leaders of the protest told the media that have recordings of conversation with rabbonim responsible for marriage and they are told they will not be recognized as Jews since they do not recognize Rabbi Druckman’s conversions.

Paltiel Eisenthal of the Petach Tikvah Religious Council probed the matter. He spoke with Rabbi Chaim Atias, the city’s Sephardi Chief Rabbi and responsible for marriage in that local rabbinate. Rabbi Atias stated this cannot be so for they do indeed recognize giyur signed by Rabbi Druckman. He assured Eisenthal that anyone bringing a document attesting to giyur via Rabbi Druckman’s beis din will be accepted without question.

Community leaders say that is all fine and good but the rabbi’s statements do not reflect policy for in fact, some have presented conversion documents from Rabbi Druckman yet their Jewishness was rejected. Eisenthal promised the protesters that he will see this through to the end for he does not understand how someone with state giyur can be rejected by the state rabbinate.

Petach Tikvah Mayor Itzik Braverman commented “We were told they are discriminating against members of the local Ethiopian community by refusing to recognize their Jewishness despite the fact any Jews may register for marriage in a rabbinate in the city in which s/he resides. I expressed my support and solidarity for their battle for this is a violation of the law…”

The mayor plans to bring the matter to the attention of the Chief Rabbis and Deputy Minister of Religious Services Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)