The case of the “Lebanese chassan” that shocked the Syrian Jewish community in Brooklyn came to an end last week when Eliya Haliwa granted his wife a get.
Haliwa’s wife left him shortly after their marriage in October 2021 when she discovered his Lebanese passport and realized that her “Jewish” husband was a Lebanese Muslim who had never undergone geyrus. But then the story took a dramatic turn when it was discovered that Haliwa was actually Jewish, as confirmed by a Beis Din in Brooklyn
In the wake of his outing as a non-Jew and the split-up from his wife, Haliwa spoke to his grandmother, his mother’s mother, who told him that her mother, his great-grandmother, was a Jewess named Sara Dwek who ran away from her family and married a Muslim. Haliwa underwent genetic testing, which proved that he had Jewish ancestry, and also underwent giyur l’chumra.
Haliwa still hoped to reconcile with his wife but meanwhile moved to Israel. The woman’s family subsequently opened a file at the Tel Aviv Rabbinical Court and presented a letter from Syrian Rabbanim in Brooklyn stating that Haliwa was a Muslim at the time of the marriage and therefore the Beis Din should declare the couple’s Kiddushin invalid. On the other hand, Haliwa presented evidence that he is Jewish.
At this point, HaRav Zevadia Cohen, the head of the Avos Batei Din in Tel Aviv who assists in complex cases, entered the picture. During a hearing with all parties present,he contacted Haliwa’s great-grandmother who lives in the city of Tyre in Lebanon, and she confirmed via an interpreter that although she considers herself a Muslim, she has Jewish ancestry via her maternal line.
Following the phone conversation, HaRav Cohen told the woman’s family that due to doubts about Haliwa’s Jewishness, the kiddushim cannot be annulled without a get. In order to prevent a possible new saga, the court issued an order forbidding Haliwa from leaving Israel.
After many efforts by HaRav Cohen, an agreement for a get was reached. Since the woman is in the US, the Beis Din arranged a get shichus. The restraining order against Haliwa was removed and the painful case finally came to an end.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
16 Responses
Okay, let the insensitive comments roll in…
I wish both of these individuals a blessing in their future marriages….somehow , they had to endure a balagan, why? one day perhaps they will share their outcomes…..
I’ll go first:
How much did the scumbag have to be paid off?
I mean the case came to an end?
How do we know that the man isn’t calling her or threatening her now? I would be very scared for the lady
sad, his Mom a jew loves being a Muslim….sorry, this man is on his own….
I don’t understand why four consecutive generations of shomer mitzvot are needed (linked article). This is true of American baalei teshuva and they are not so required. Is it because his Jewish ancestry is so far in the past?
This story is chok full of holes.
So much lashon harah destroyed a marriage. Beit din should have investigated first before YWN or Mishpacha magazine reported anything.
Hawila, not Haliwa
So now he can be megayer and they will marry. If she wants to forgo her Lebanese minhag
Why can’t he leave EY? If he underwent a legitimate giyur, he’ll have the appropriate paperwork, and he can go anywhere.
There’s so much here that we don’t know, and I’m probably very happy that we don’t.
He can leave Eretz Yisrael since he gave her a get. The restraining order was to keep him here until he gave the get, so he couldn’t leave and dissapear to who knows where.
The next time we hear anything about this will be when he gets remarried
Why is a single witness who considers herself Muslim, taken at her word? Maybe her grandson asked her to say that. Does she have documented proof? Furthermore I have never heard of genetic evidence being enough to prove one’s Jewishness
Anyway, hope everyone is now happy and safe.
Joebarnathan, there WAS no lashon hara. The guy didn’t start claiming that he was always Jewish until AFTER he was found out and the poor woman he deceived left him. As far as anyone including himself knew, he wasn’t Jewish.
Interesting season finale! I enjoyed this season, I hope they get approved to launch a second. I predict Eliya‘s ex will turn out to be a Muslim, and Eliya offers to marry her again after she converts.