JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A yeshiva student who recently came to register for marriage discovered, to his shock, that he is not Jewish according to Jewish law. The story was revealed during the course of a professional conference for marriage registrars from across the country, hosted by the Givat Shmuel Religious Council, and attended by the Director General of the Ministry of Religious Services, Yehuda Avidan.
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The conference, which focused on learning and improving services for couples registering for marriage, implementing new technologies, and refining halachic and administrative procedures, led by the professional team of the Ministry’s Marriage Registration Department.
At the center of the conference was an exceptional case presented to participants, illustrating the heavy responsibility placed on marriage registrars: a couple arrived to register for marriage according to Jewish law, with the groom being a full-fledged yeshiva student who, of course, conducts his life in accordance with the Torah.
However, during a routine yet thorough lineage verification process carried out by the marriage registrars, it emerged, much to everyone’s astonishment and to the groom’s own shock, that he is not Jewish according to halacha (Jewish law). This discovery prevented a serious error and highlights the critical importance of the verification procedures conducted in marriage registration offices.
Yehuda Avidan, Director General of the Ministry of Religious Services, said:
“The study day is an integral part of the Ministry’s policy to strengthen professionalism, increase transparency, and make services more accessible to citizens. We believe that combining halacha, public sensitivity, and professionalism will lead to a significant improvement in marriage registration processes in Israel and provide a better service experience for the entire public. The special cooperation here with the Religious Council, led by Yaakov Reicher, is an example of how we can ensure efficient, uniform, and respectful service throughout the country.”
The head of the Ministry’s Marriage Registration Department, Rabbi Hizkiyahu Samin, addressed the case at the conference and said: “The story revealed here is a chilling reminder of the importance of your sacred work. We must continue to combine advanced, courteous service with uncompromising adherence to halacha and to the identity of the Jewish people.”
The Lubavitcher Rebbe screamed about this for hours over 50 years ago. It could have been fixed then.
If the Jewish people in government, who were primarily motivated by financial interests, had ensured that the law of conversion was applied strictly according to Jewish law, it could have very likely prevented this situation from occurring.
So what’s the story?
Happens quite a few times in Israel and abroad.
Has to be megayer chalochoh
This seems to put into question the reliability of the yeshiva where the bochur studied. If the bochur’s mother is not halachically Jewish, than both of the bochur’s parents are not observant. Most likely scenario is that the mother made a reformed or conservative “conversion”, and the bochur was given a secular education until he became attracted to Judaism and went to “yeshiva”, typically college age or older. Normally yeshivas that cater to teaching baalei tschuva have an awareness that their applicants have a significant chance of not being halachily Jewish, and normally the rebeim discus the lineage with their new applicants, and deal with the repercussions during the addmission process.
“Yeshivas” who take on newbi baal-tschuvas, without taking an interest in their lineage, and without ever informing their students about the halachot defining who is a Jew, are probably suspect of not being observant of Jewish law.
A “yeshiva-bochur” who is not halachicly Jewish, who learned in a non-observant “yeshiva”, may not even be interested in being observant. Does this “yeshiva-bochur” observe shabbas? Does he even know the basics of hilchas shabbas? Does he have any interest in orthodox observance of Jewish law and custom?
Was he megayer?
Did B”D force him to live a Gentile to have free bechira? Like to hear howbthe story ends.
Even regarding the 7 Mitzvos, there are major machlokes as to what they include, but a goy can get punished for not keeping them.
I would love to find somewhere in Tenaach, or in Yoissifin, that a non-jew should have to perform certain rituals in order to become a Jew. They just joined us if they wanted.
How stupid. How Jewish does one have to be to in order to be murdered on October 7th? Or on bondie Beach or hit in the head while walking down the street. Yet your not Jewish enough to marry according to the Rabbi??