Jerusalem Judges Authorize Liberal Private Giyur, Online Utah Weddings

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Jerusalem District Court judge Tamar Bar-Asher ruled Wednesday that two converts from the private “Giyur K’Halacha” Beis Din must be recognized in the Law of Return and they can immigrate to Israel after completing their conversion in this Beis Din.

Bar-Asher explained that since the law does not provide definitive categories for which Beis Din can convert, there is no reason to distinguish between the different forms of orthodox Beis Dins and therefore even Giyur K’Halacha, a private initiative established by Rabbi Nachum Rabinowitz Zts’l, former Rosh Yeshiva in Maale Adumim, can be accepted as a legitimate form of conversion and its converts can be registered as Israelis by law. The private Beis Din recognizes those who are of Jewish descent [but not halachically Jewish] and allows them to convert using a more liberal approach, including converting children even though their parents do not wish to convert.

Beis Din Giyur K’Halacha

In another liberal ruling, District Court judge Avraham Rubin accepted a petition by the Chidush Association for freedom of religion and equality and ordered the Interior Minister to register as married any couple who married online via Utah weddings, which take place on Zoom and can be performed even for couples in Israel. Previously the Interior Ministry when it was headed by Shas leader Aryeh Deri had refused to register such couples as married.

Judge Rubin wrote that the claim that such Zoom marriages were performed in Israel [which does not recognize civil marriage] is null and void and therefore any couple which has performed a “Utah marriage” may be registered immediately as married.