When President Donald Trump’s daughter converted to Judaism under a prominent Orthodox rabbi in Manhattan before marrying Jared Kushnerher.Israel’s religious authorities issued a ruling that raised doubts about her conversion to Judaism. But after Trump’s victory, they have changed their rules.
In December Israel’s chief rabbis said they would work to change the rules for recognizing conversions performed abroad.
The announcement said.”According to the new proposed plan, her conversion will be certified without the need for additional checks.”
Israeli activists raised the eyebrows to this sudden change. They said the sudden policy change is to favor with the new US president.Israeli efforts to recognize her conversion would foster a closer relationship between the Trump family and Israel.
Ivanka Trump’s husband has been appointed a senior adviser to Trump and is expected to focus on Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.
“The timing is certainly suspicious,” said Rabbi Seth Farber, director of ITIM, an organization that represents converts seeking recognition from the rabbinate. “My biggest fear is that the rabbinate will find some way to find Ms. Trump kosher, to recognize her conversion, but leave thousands of other converts behind, simply saying they’re not Jewish enough for us.”
A spokesman for one of Israel’s chief rabbis said the proposed changes were a long time coming and not a direct result of Mr. Trump’s election.
“Even before Ivanka Trump, it was talked about,” said spokesman Pinchas Tennenbaum, adding that the media attention “added problems, and we take it to heart.”
Between 2013 and 2015, all the foreign-born Jews used to seek a marriage license in Israel. They were first checked by the rabbinate to ensure that they are Jewish. According to rabbinate figures, at least 5,000 people asked the rabbinate to recognize them as Jews.
Every year Israeli rabbinical courts reject dozens of converts, claiming their Orthodox conversions were not stringent enough and in some case questioning their motives and levels of observance.