Conversions of Ivanka Trump's Rabbi under Scrutiny in Israel

In an interview with Jerusalem Post, Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, who also converted Ivanka Trump said that the woman in question is quite observant. She had moved to Israel and got engaged to an Israeli man but was unable to get married since the Petach Tikvah rabbinate where she went to register for marriage did not recognize her conversion as valid.

The Israeli rabbinate has rejected American converts in the past.

"It's risky for anybody's converts," Rabbi Lookstein said.

When the engaged couple went to register for marriage with the Petach Tikvah Rabbanut the bride was referred to the Petach Tikvah Rabbinical Court to confirm that her conversion was recognized. Not only did the court send a request to the Chief Rabbinate but it also asked the State Conversion Authority, Rabbi Rafi Peretz for his opinion.

According to the Jerusalem Post," The Office of the Chief Rabbinate said that [Rabbi] Lookstein's conversions were indeed acceptable, but [Rabbi] Peretz said he had not come across converts through Lookstein and therefore said the rabbinical court should not recognize the conversion of the woman in question, which is what was ultimately decided."

According to a Times of Israel report," After a preliminary hearing at the supreme rabbinical court, Rabbi Itamar Tubul wrote a letter to the Petah Tikva court saying that the conversion certificate signed by Lookstein was “approved by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel,” a ruling that Petah Tikva rejected, arguing that his name did not appear in its lists of rabbis approved for conversions and that it stood by its initial decision to reject the woman’s status."

According to Ynet's Hebrew news site the Petach Tikvah court," did not find the rabbi in question [Rabbi Lookstein] as authorized to perform conversions," they added that the woman had to go through the conversion process in Israel.

The bride is appealing the court's decisions and according to many reports it seems likely that her conversion will eventually be accepted.

קישורים:
Rabbi who converted Ivanka Trump slams Israeli rabbinate's 'cruel' rejection of US convert
In Israel, Ivanka Trump may not be considered Jewish

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