What conversions will the State of Israel accept? Is your program acceptable for aliyah? Does a remote conversion”work”?

Yes, our conversions are accepted, because we have designed them based on the requirements of the State of Israel. This is because our classes are remote, but our conversions are actually local.

As part of your preparation for conversion, you will be asked to identify a local synagogue, attend services regularly (2+ times/month), and get to know the rabbi. We will work with that rabbi to prepare you for a conversion that they will “sponsor.” For the state of Israel to accept you as Jewish, including making aliyah or getting a student visa to study at a yeshiva, your local synagogue needs to be an official part of the Orthodox, Reform, or Conservative movement (nothing against Recon or Renewal; it’s just the policy of the Israeli Sochnut).

In fact, you should be very wary of any program that promises you otherwise. If a program is fully remote, it will not be accepted by Israel, and even many American synagogues will not accept it as valid. No matter what program you study with, you need to attend a local synagogue, and for your rabbi to be part of the conversion, for your conversion to be universally accepted. The Jewish Virtual Academy works with your local rabbi, which is why our program is acceptable for American synagogues as well as the State of Israel.

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