Chief Rabbi Forms Panel to Aid Ukrainian Jewish Refugees

Ashkenazi Chief Harav David Lau suggested Tuesday the establishment of a special panel of three Dayanim to aid the Ukrainian Jewish refugees who flee the war in Ukraine and arrive in Israel without the necessary documentation for aliyah.

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.

In a letter to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, Rav Lau asked to explore the possibility of the Dayanim 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 Dayanim who will try in every way to help them … [and] streamline the processes, given that the Beis Din’s workload does not allow for full attention to the issue.”