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Interior Ministry refuses to recognize marriage of Nigerian converts
By Dana Weiler-Polak
Tags: Nigerian Jews 

A Nigerian couple that wed under rabbinate supervision in Israel last year is continuing to push for official recognition after being told by the Interior Ministry that the wife underwent a private conversion to Judaism that cannot be recognized.

Chai-Ben Daniel and Michal (Grace) Agimora wed last July. Daniel, 35, the head of Israel's tiny Nigerian Jewish community, moved to Israel 17 years ago. The two met and fell in love following Agimora's arrival in the country four years ago as a refugee, and they decided two years ago to get married.

But the couple was later told by the Interior Ministry's Ramle branch that their documentation was not valid because it was a private conversion, one that the ministry says is not recognized by the rabbinate.
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"I stood there, with a marriage certificate in my hand, and they told me that the certificate is worth nothing and that neither is our marriage," Daniel said.

"Grace converted, we married and now they tell me that it isn't valid. This is simply racism."

Agimora - who is not an Israeli citizen - had received documentation of her successful conversion from the Haredi court, just as Daniel had done years earlier.

When the Interior Ministry turned to the Ramle rabbinate, it received the response that the two were married based on an approved conversion. The rabbinate added that "If you think we made a mistake, we will accept that and apologize, God will protect us from errors."

Attorney Eyal Shmulevitz petitioned the Tel Aviv District Court in December 2008 to enable the couple to be added to the marriage registry and to grant Agimora Israeli citizenship.

In March a judge ordered the Interior Ministry to treat the couple as if their marriage was valid, saying that the Interior Ministry was not authorized to rule on the legal validity on their marriage.

But a week later the Ministry sent a letter to Daniel telling him that it was weighing up appealing the legal ruling and that in the meantime it would not take care of the case.

The Interior Ministry Sunday repeated its claim that Agimora underwent a private conversion that is not recognized by the state. The matter remains under review.

Related articles:
  • Interior Minister accused of preventing converts from immigrating to Israel
  • State refusing to recognize 'pop over' conversions despite court order
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