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Israel high court orders state funding for non-Orthodox conversion classes

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] The Israeli High Court of Justice on Tuesday ordered the government to fund non-Orthodox conversion institutions. The decision, handed down by a three-judge panel, breaks the monopoly that Orthodox conversion institutions hold over public conversion funding. The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism applauded the decision, with Associate Director Mark Pelavin saying is, "ends one of the longstanding manifestations of government discrimination against non-Orthodox Judaism." The Israeli Religious Action Center also expressed hope that the verdict would, "lead to a change in government policy and put an end to the exclusion of the Reform movement by the State." While Tuesday's decision allots equal funding for orthodox and non-Orthodox conversion institutes, non-Orthodox converts still face difficulties integrating into Israeli society. In Israel, Orthodox conversion is the officially recognized conversion of the government, and it is believed that many non-Orthodox converts to Judaism are not recognized as Jewish by religious law.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on May 20, 2009 (boomark / email).