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COURT ASKED TO RECOGNIZE NON-ORTHODOX CONVERSIONS IN ISRAEL
by Yuval Yoaz, Ha'aretz, November 29, 2005
Israel Religious Action Center on Tuesday morning petitioned the High Court of Justice with a request that immigrants who undergo Reform or Conservative conversion be recognized as Jews and entitled to Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return.
Only Orthodox conversions to Judaism are recognized today under the Law of Return. The Reform movement is asking the High Court to end this monopoly.
The petitions were filed by attorney Nicole Maor against the Interior Ministry in the name of seven people who are undergoing conversion through Israel's Reform movement.
The petitioners wish to change the interpretation given to the term "Jew" under the Law of Return in order to allow people who receive non-Orthodox conversion to be recognized as Jews.
The petition argues that the High Court's consistent stand on the question through out the years leads to the conclusion that the term "converted" includes non-Orthodox conversions in Jewish communities in Israel and abroad.
The state, the petitioners say, has failed to produce legislation, which gives it the power to ignore non-Orthodox conversions done in Israel and that Israel's policy discriminates between the different currents in Judaism.
Several months ago, the High Court issued a precedent-setting ruling that people who undergo non-Orthodox conversions to Judaism overseas are entitled to Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return, even if the converts are Israeli residents who traveled overseas solely for the purpose of converting.
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