The Supreme Rabbinical Court in Jerusalem has summoned the convert who was converted by Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, Rabbi of the Congregation ‘Kehilath Jeshurun’ in New York and a prominent Orthodox rabbi in the US, to another hearing on her case.
In the summoning, the Supreme Rabbinical Court demands from the convert to appear for the hearing, set to take place on Wednesday 7 Tammuz during the morning hours. The summoning was given following the appeal against the ruling of Petach Tikva Rabbinical Court to not recognize Rabbi Lookstein’s conversion – delivered by the convert with the assistance of the ITIM organization – which took place last Wednesday at the Supreme Rabbinical Court in Jerusalem. As mentioned, in its verdict, the Petach Tikva Rabbinical Court argued that Rabbi Lookstein is not recognized by the State of Israel to perform conversions.
The Petach Tikva Beis Din verdict generated waves of protest amongst the orthodox community in Israel and abroad. A demonstration took place near the offices of the Chief Rabbinate in Jerusalem on the morning of the hearing last Wednesday, with the participation of the Chairman of the Jewish Agency, Nathan Sharansky, MK Elazar Stern, MK Yehuda Glick, head of the ITIM Organization, Rabbi Dr. Seth Farber, Former MK Rabbi Dov Lipman and Rabbi of Efrat Rabbi Shlomo Riskin.
In light of the summoning, Rabbi Dr. Seth Farber, head of the ITIM Organization, demands from the Supreme Rabbinical Court to end its war of attrition against the convert and accept her conversion.
“We were very surprised by the summoning. It’s time to stop torturing the convert. We stand behind our opinion that there was not even a pinch of reasoning behind the verdict given by Petach Tikva Beis Din, to not recognize Rabbi Lookstein’s conversions and we call upon the Supreme Rabbinate Court not to take in this war of attrition and allow this convert, and many other who converted by the Halacha with orthodox rabbis in the diaspora, to marry and lead a full Jewish life in Israel.”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
If this circus continues, the government will rightfully move to take the authority away from the rabbinical courts. Rav Lookstein, shlita, is a highly respected orthodox rav whose decision on a giyur should have never been challenged. These rabbonim lose any credibility when they continue this harassment.
Being an “open orthodox” rabbi, who allows geirus to enable marriage, who would allow women to put on tefillin, and having done a geirus where the non-acceptance of full oil hatoiroh vehamitzvos was obvious and corroborated afterwards, is more than a pinch of reasoning
#2
Can you prove any of your hysterical slander of an outstanding Rabbi?
The rabbinate seem very intent on committing suicide!