Root of the Issue

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.”