Some Israeli Marriage Registrars Refuse To Accept Conversions By Chief Rabbinate

YNet News today reports that particularly in the Israeli cities of Ashkelon and Rishon LeTzion, marriage registrars employed by Israel's Chief Rabbinate are refusing to recognize the legitimacy of conversions to Judaism performed by the Chief Rabbinate for many immigrants during their military service in the IDF. Apparently at a meeting of chief rabbis of various Israeli cities three months ago, ultra-Orthodox members urged cities to refuse to accept the validity of Orthodox conversions where, subsequently, the individual involved does not observe all aspects of Jewish religious law. Marriage registrars who disagree with the more liberal conversion policy applied by the Chief Rabbinate following the report of the Ne'eman Committee in 1998 are advising couples to register in another city. (See prior related posting.)