When, How, and Where Must We Demand Proof of Jewish Identity?

While Israel and many European communities maintain detailed registers of family information, North American rabbanim must rely on personal networks, knowledge of “Jewish geography,” and sometimes uncomfortable questions in order to determine a person’s Jewish status. Rabbis in the trenches share how they deal with the uncertainties that come with the territory

The shocking case that came to light earlier this month in which a Lebanese Shiite Muslim man managed to infiltrate Brooklyn’s frum community — to the extent that he was able to marry a Jewish woman — generated headlines around the world. The incident shone a light on the fragmented, often informal system employed by North American communities to vet a prospective member’s Jewishness.

Whereas Orthodox Jews in Israel and many European communities maintain detailed registers of historical family information, US and Canadian rabbanim are forced to rely on personal networks and knowledge of “Jewish geography.” That system came up short in this particular case, but rabbanim and kiruv workers on the ground told Mishpacha that in general it can be trusted.

Nevertheless, all those who use that system would be well advised to listen to the words of the father of the young woman whom it failed.

“Every case needs to be checked,” he told Mishpacha unequivocally. “And not just the person’s name, and his family name, and where he comes from. They have to track down where he was actually born, and trace every step he’s taken in his life — what he ate, what he drank, where he slept. In this digital age, it’s also easier to track down his friends.”

In the meantime, the would-be father-in-law worries that people hearing about this scam are underestimating its brilliance. “This was a very, very smart individual,” he says. “He knew how to speak, how to conduct himself, how to calmly blend in without arousing suspicion.

“I don’t know what his ultimate goal was. He says that of course he had no hostile intentions, and he just wanted to take my daughter as his wife. I’m not saying he was a spy — also the police are convinced he isn’t a spy — but someone who did want to do so could very easily pass himself off in the same way. And this is very dangerous.”