jerusalem | Israel’s Supreme Court has ordered the state to fund private non-Orthodox institutions that prepare potential converts to Judaism.
In addition to ordering the state to create an equal funding formula, the court mandated May 19 that the government retroactively fund the affected institutions for the past three years.
The court ruling was in answer to an appeal filed by the Israeli Movement for Progressive Judaism, which performs Reform conversions.
In Israel, prospective converts must attend conversion classes to prepare them to go in front of the rabbinical court. The converts can be prepared by the Institute for Jewish Studies, a public institution set up by the Ne’eman Commission to teach converts from any background.
Other public conversion ulpans are operated under the auspices of the Ministry of Education. In addition, prospective converts can attend classes under the auspices of private institutions, which are operated by all streams of Judaism.
The decision will result in more non-Orthodox converts, said Rabbi Helena Rubinstein, head of the Reform Movement’s Absorption and Conversion Department.
“There is no doubt that we will be able to convert more people if you have more funds,” Rubinstein said. “Right now a lot of our people are volunteers. This money could make a real difference.”
The state transfers some $365,000 a year to private Orthodox institutions that prepare people for conversion, according to the Immigration Absorption Ministry.
As a result of the court ruling, the Reform and Conservative institutes will receive a portion of this money.
These institutes prepare non-Jewish Israelis for conversion in the Conservative and Reform conversion courts. After the process is completed, these converts are recognized by their movements as Jews, but since Jewish marriages in Israel are controlled by the Orthodox Chief Rabbinate, they are not recognized as Jews for the purpose of marriage.
There are also Reform and Conservative teachers employed by the Joint Institute for Jewish Studies that help train people for conversion in Orthodox conversion courts.
The Reform Movement converts about 200 people a year, according to Rabbi Yehoram Mazor, head of the movement’s courts. Mazor said that the average period of preparation was one year.
“But since the Orthodox establishment controls the use of ritual baths our converts are forced to immerse in the Mediterranean Sea,” he said.
The Jerusalem Post and JTA contributed to this report.