Israel's top court recognizes non-Orthodox converts for immigration
The issue of conversion in Reform and Conservative communities has divided Israel for decades. Rabbinical authorities in Israel slammed the decision.
Israel’s High Court of Justice has ruled that conversions to Judaism from non-Orthodox are acceptable for immigration to Israel. The landmark decision comes after years of debate on the issue, which has divided Jewish communities in Israel and abroad.
The High Court ruled on Monday that the state must recognize conversions to Judaism in the Reform and Conservative movements that are performed in Israel for the purpose of citizenship, multiple Israeli media outlets reported.
The conversion debate has raged on in Israel for several decades. The court's ruling that non-Orthodox conversion can be accepted for citizenship is related to Israel's Law of Return. The law states that anyone with at least one Jewish grandparent or who has converted to Judaism can immigrate to Israel and obtain citizenship.
Until the court’s ruling, the state only recognized conversions performed by Orthodox rabbis. Therefore, converts to Reform or Conservative Judaism who did not have Jewish heritage could not immigrate to Israel under the law.
