The Family Court in Petah Tikva recently approved the conversion of a 14½‑year‑old boy from Islam to Judaism, despite strong objections from his Muslim father. Judge Efrat Wenkert ruled that the boy should return to his mother’s religion unconditionally, citing his clear wishes and the recommendation of all professional parties involved.
According to the petition, the boy’s mother was born Jewish and converted to Islam for the purpose of marriage. After the couple separated, their son was two years old and the mother entered a shelter for women victims of violence. Upon leaving the shelter, she returned to Judaism, but her son remained registered as Muslim in the Population and Immigration Authority’s records. She has been raising him alone, and his last meeting with his father was in 2019. In November 2025, the mother filed a request to change her son’s name.
In her petition for his conversion to Judaism, she wrote that he has lived “as a Jew in every respect since early childhood” and recently celebrated his bar mitzvah. She emphasized that despite her past conversion to Islam, according to Jewish law she remained Jewish, which means her son is also Jewish by birth, and therefore no formal conversion was required — only an update of his registration.
The father objected in principle and conditioned his consent on also undergoing conversion. However, all professional parties involved — including a social worker and the court‑appointed legal guardian for the boy — were unanimous that the mother’s request should be granted.
According to the legal guardian, the boy told her that he sees himself as Jewish and “it is very important to him that the registration reflect his feelings.” She added that changing the registration would free him from the “secret” he has had to carry over the years, and she concluded by recommending that his wishes be respected and his religious status changed as requested.
The social worker, who was initially skeptical, later agreed with her colleague that the boy’s best interests lay in returning to Judaism and having his religion officially recorded as Jewish. In her view, implementing the requested change “will reduce the confusion he is experiencing and promote his long‑term psychological well‑being.”
Attorney Anat VildaiPhoto: Thomas StudioWenkert granted the mother’s petition, writing: “In light of the complete agreement of all professional parties, and since I believe that, given all that has been presented, there can be no dispute that both the minor’s wishes and his best interests are fully aligned — and in accordance with the recommendations of all treatment professionals — I am of the view that the return of the minor to Judaism and the change of his name in the registry constitute a completion and closure of the long and difficult process he has undergone.”
She approved the boy’s conversion to Judaism and, consequently, the change in his registration with the Population and Immigration Authority.
“I hope that now, with the conclusion of the process, the minor will find his belonging and identity, and will gain some measure of peace for his soul, so that the confusion he has lived with all his life will come to an end, and now he can continue his life without the ‘heavy burden’ on his shoulders,” she concluded.