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Ivanka’s conversion kosher in Israel, rabbinate’s list confirms

Conversions officiated by the rabbi who converted Ivanka Trump are recognized by Israel’s chief rabbinate, a newly publicized list reveals.

By World Israel News Staff

The rabbi who converted Ivanka Trump is on the Israeli rabbinate’s list of recognized clergymen whose conversions and divorces are recognized by the Jewish state.

Israel’s Chief Rabbinate has made public the lists of overseas rabbis it recognizes for the purposes of conversion and divorce, Ha’aretz reported on Tuesday.

The lists were published in Hebrew recently on the rabbinate’s official website, and a third list – those recognized for the purpose of marriage – is yet to be added, Ha’aretz said.

The list includes only Orthodox rabbis, as other Jewish denominations are not recognized by the rabbinate.

ITIM – an organization that helps individuals challenged by Israel’s religious bureaucracy, has been fighting for the rabbinate to publicize the list for six years, according to Ha’aretz.  A leading Israeli non-profit, Itim represented an American woman whose conversion by Rabbi Haskel Lookstein was rejected by the rabbinate. Lookstein, who now made the list of recognized rabbis, had also converted Ivanka Trump.

Rabbi Seth Farber, founder and executive director of ITIM, called the publication of the lists “a victory for transparency,” Ha’aretz said.

However, Farber added, the lists are “far from perfect,” as they have not clarified whether those converted by Orthodox rabbis not on the list will be recognized as Jews.