Proposed bill would accept all Jewish conversions from abroad

Former Justice Minister Moshe Nissim’s recommendations to solve the conversion conundrum that will be released on Sunday includes a recommendation to recognize all conversions performed abroad in recognized Jewish communities, but only to accept ones in Israel performed under the auspices of a national conversion authority.

A senior official familiar with the matter said that Nisim’s report presents non-binding recommendations that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his staff will review.

According to the official, the proposed bill would guarantee by law for the first time the rights of converts coming from abroad. Under the bill, conversions performed abroad in recognized Jewish communities would continue to be officially recognized by the state for the purposes of the Law of Return.

The proposed bill would anchor in law the status quo regarding conversions conducted in Israel.

According to the recommendations, a national conversion authority, under the auspices of the Prime Minister’s Office, would continue to be responsible for overseeing all conversions in Israel. Conversions performed in Israel outside the conversion authority – whether Reform, Conservative or Orthodox – would not be recognized for the purposes of the Law of Return.