Orthodox agree on standard conversions

The Rabbinical Council of America and Israel’s Chief Rabbinate have reached an agreement to formalize the Orthodox conversion process, making all RCA conversions acceptable to Israel’s rabbinate. “As of this morning, we now have formal agreement with the Chief Rabbinate regarding formal recognition of conversions,” Rabbi Basil Herring, the RCA’s executive vice president, told JTA on Thursday. The agreement comes after the rabbinate announced last May that it would no longer accept Orthodox conversions performed outside Israel. The agreement follows a year of negotiations between the RCA and Beth Din of America. The details of the agreement are set to be released Monday in New York at the RCA’s annual conference. But Herring said that standard practices for conversion would be established through regional Jewish courts and coordinated through a centralized office run by the RCA. The parties involved “have agreed that they will adhere to the very clear and precise standards and policy and procedures,” he said.