High Court recognizes conversions of private court headed by Rabbi Haim Amsalem

The Supreme Court rejected the Population Authority's appeal and ruled that the private conversion court 'Ahavat HaGer,' headed by Rabbi Haim Amsalem, must be recognized for the purposes of the Law of Return. The judges criticized the state's conduct, which refused to recognize the court even though it had already recognized conversions performed there.

The Supreme Court ruled today (Thursday) that the private Orthodox conversion court 'Ahavat HaGer,' headed by Rabbi Haim Amsalem, must be recognized for granting status in Israel under the Law of Return. Justices Yitzhak Amit, Yael Wilner, and Khaled Kabub rejected the appeal of the Population and Immigration Authority, which sought to overturn the principled recognition of the court. The decision expands recognition of conversions conducted outside the state conversion system. The proceedings began regarding a Filipino citizen who arrived in Israel in 2005 as a nursing caregiver, became close to Judaism, and converted in 2018 at Rabbi Amsalem's court. Her request for immigrant status was denied by the Population Authority, initially on the grounds that criteria had not yet been set, and later due to doubts about the sincerity of the conversion. The District Court accepted her petition, and the Supreme Court dismissed the authority's appeal. President Amit criticized the state's inconsistency, which published guidelines in 2022 recognizing Rabbi Amsalem's conversions but opposed recognizing the court in the appeal. The judges emphasized Rabbi Amsalem's halachic standing and the rigorous process of his court. The court ordered the Population Authority to pay legal costs of 20,000 shekels.