Haya decided to convert after October 7: "I understood that the enemy acts out of a religious motive"
Tu B'Av marked a new beginning for converts who completed their journey through the "Giyur KeHalacha" system. This initiative, run by the "Itim" organization, serves as an alternative to the bureaucratic process of the Chief Rabbinate, which often carries a heavy emotional toll.
The Hebrew holiday of love brought double joy to several couples and individuals who completed their conversion process and married according to the law of Moses and Israel through the "Giyur KeHalacha" system of the "Itim" organization. Behind these celebrations lie moving personal stories—from difficult dilemmas with the religious establishment to a national awakening following the events of October 7.
Approximately 450 people go through this system annually. The vast majority are immigrants of Jewish descent, usually those whose father or grandfather was Jewish but whose mother is not. For them, the process is not merely a religious procedure, but a way to settle their identity within Israeli society and complete a family connection.
"In Russia I was Jewish"
One of the most touching stories is that of Haya (Inna), 53, a family doctor living in Jerusalem who immigrated from Russia. Haya, whose father is Jewish, has been married to Michael for 30 years and is the mother of two IDF officers. "In Russia, I was always Jewish, and when I came to Israel, I suddenly found myself 'Russian'. I was focused on my career and raising my children, so I didn't have time to go through an official process," she shares.
The turning point came after October 7.
"On October 7, I understood that our enemy acts out of a religious motive and a connection to the land. I realized that it is impossible to win if we do not connect to our roots and to Zionism."
Following her daughter, who decided to convert through "Itim", Haya also joined the process. On Tu B'Av, Haya and Michael stood under the chuppah, marrying for the third time in their lives, this time according to the law of Moses and Israel.
The price of Rabbinate bureaucracy
The events highlighted the heavy emotional price that the Chief Rabbinate's bureaucracy imposes on converts. Veronika, 33, a resident of Shoham who immigrated from Russia four years ago, went through a turbulent journey. The first time she appeared before judges at the Rabbinate, her answer was misunderstood due to language barriers. The second time, she was rejected after judges found an old photo online from her time as a blogger, which led her to completely delete her social media presence to prove her intentions.
"The last two times at the Rabbinate, they didn't even bother to explain why I didn't pass," Veronika says with pain. "It was a humiliating journey that broke me completely. Every time I didn't pass, I cried for three days straight. I did more than what was asked; I brought letters of recommendation, I went to the synagogue, and I didn't understand what else was missing for me to be part of this people. I felt like I was being toyed with." She finally found the long-awaited answer in the "Giyur KeHalacha" system: "There, I met rabbis who treated me with kindness and without any judgment. They simply gave me back the feeling that I am at home."
Rabbi Shaul Farber, chairman and founder of the "Itim" organization, congratulated the converts:
"The reality in which people who have tied their fate to the State of Israel are forced to go through a bureaucratic ordeal to feel part of the people must change. It is possible to convert with respect and kindness. The Itim organization and the Giyur KeHalacha system will continue to help immigrants who have tied their fate to the Jewish people to do so in a halachic, respectful, and embracing way."
