The RCA Supports all Valid Past Conversions by its Members

The Rabbinical Council of America wishes to state for the record, and for the express purpose of preventing needless anguish on the part of many genuine converts, whom the Torah commands us to love and respect, the following:

The RCA/GPS (Geirus Policies and Standards) Protocol for Conversions relates to future converts and conversions. All those who were converted properly in the past according to the dictates of Halacha should be aware that the status of their conversions is unchanged and is not subject to any reevaluation.

Public written statements over the last few days have raised questions regarding the status of conversions performed by RCA rabbis in the past, and whether all such converts would be subject to special re-evaluation or scrutiny by the RCA or by Israel’s Chief Rabbinate. There is nothing in the RCA/GPS protocol for conversions that implies or states such a thing, and there was and is no intention to review or scrutinize, much less nullify, previous conversions.

All conversions performed by RCA member rabbis that were considered valid in the past will continue to be considered valid in the future.