Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi David Lau suggested Tuesday the establishment of a special panel of three rabbinical judges to aid the Ukrainian Jewish refugees who flee the war in Ukraine and arrive in Israel without the necessary documentation for aliyah, Israel Hayom has learned.
Under the Israeli law known as the Law of Return, Jews can get virtually automatic citizenship if they meet certain criteria pertaining to their Jewish roots.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
In a letter to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, Lau asked to explore the possibility of the judges overseeing the matters of refugees who have for now been given tourist visas and may later seek to become full-fledged citizens under that law.
"The war in Ukraine has caused thousands to wander into the unknown," he wrote. "Many fled their homes and were unable to obtain the necessary documents to prove their Jewishness.
"In order to help, we will set up a special panel of rabbinical judges who will try in every way to help them … [and] streamline the processes, given that the rabbinical court's workload does not allow for full attention to the issue."
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
