The European Beth Din of the Conference of European Rabbis

The European Beth Din (EBD) was established over 35 years ago, at the initiative of the late Chief Rabbi Lord Jakobovits z”l, who was president of the Conference of European Rabbis at the time, in response to repeated requests from European communities where there was no functioning or recognised Rabbinical Court.

The EBD was headed by its Av Beth Din - Dayan Chanoch Ehrentreu, zt"l, for over 25 years, during which time the late Dayan zt"l laid the foundations upon which our Beth Din has always functioned, and which afford it its international recognition. For over 50 years, Dayan Ehrentreu, zt"l, lead the most distinguished Batei Din in the United Kingdom, having served as Rosh Beth Din of London for over 20 years, and as Av Beth Din of Manchester for close to a decade, prior to that. Dayan Ehrentreu was the foremost Senior Halachic authority in Europe.
The EBD employs Senior Dayanim from established European Batei Din, and works across the entire European continent, serving individuals and communities in various ways. Our Beth Din enjoys a close relationship with other reputable Batei Din the world over, as well as with the Chief Rabbinate of the State of Israel.
The European Beth Din is an affiliate of the Conference of European Rabbis.

Dayanim of the EBD of the Conference of European Rabbis: Dayan Chanoch Ehrentreu, zt"l – Founder of the European Beth Din

Dayan Chanoch Ehrentreu, zt"l, was born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, in December 1932, and passed away in London in November 2022. Although it is impossible to do justice to all his many accomplishments, Dayan Ehrentreu, zt"l, served as Av Beth Din of Europe for over 25 years, was Rosh Beth Din of the London Beth Din from 1984 to 2007, and prior to that, served as Av Beth Din of Manchester from 1978 to 1984. In addition to his extensive experience as an Av Beth Din, Dayan Ehrentreu served as Rosh Kollel of the distinguished Sunderland Kollel from 1960 to 1978.

Dayan Pinchas Goldschmidt- President of the Conference of European Rabbis and Av Beth Din of the Central Swiss Beth Din

Dayan Pinchas Goldschmidt is the current president of the Conference of European Rabbis. He served as Chief Rabbi and Av Beth Din of Moscow for 35 years and is the Av Beth Din of the Central Swiss Beth Din in Zurich. In addition to his advanced rabbinical ordinations, Dayan Goldschmidt was awarded Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from Ner Israel Rabbinical College and Johns Hopkins University, respectively. In 2009 he was invited as a visiting scholar to Harvard University

Dayan Menachem Gelley – Rosh Beth Din of the London Beth Din

Dayan Menachem Gelley is a graduate of the Ponovezh Yeshivah, in Israel and of the Gateshead Kollel, in the UK. He was appointed as a Dayan of the London Beth Din in 1993 and today serves as its Rosh Beth Din. He lectures extensively in all areas of Jewish law and is also the Rabbi of the Ohr Chodosh Synagogue in Golders Green. He is the current Chairman of the Standing Committee and a member of the Presidium of the Conference of European Rabbis.

Dayan Moshe Lebel – Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivahs Toras Chaim

After studying for many years at the Ponevezh Yeshivah in Bnei Brak and Mir Yeshivah in Jerusalem, Dayan Moshe Lebel founded Yeshivas Toras Chaim in Moscow, in 1990, at the request and with the encouragement of the late Rabbi Moshe Soloveitchik, z”l. In addition to his responsibilities as Rosh HaYeshivah, Dayan Lebel also served for many decades as a Dayan of the Moscow Beth Din, is the Rabbinical Director of the Conference of European Rabbis, and a member of its Standing Committee and Executive Council.

Dayan Eliezar Wolff - Av Beth Din of Amsterdam

Dayan Eliezer Wolff was born in Strasbourg – France, and studied at Yeshivos Kol Torah and Ponevezh, in Israel. After his marriage to Dina Meyer, the daughter of the Rabbi of Saint Louis, he continued his studies of Dayanus at Nishmath Israel. He served as a Dayan at the Batei Din of Nice and Toulouse before being invited to join the Beth Din of Amsterdam in 2006. Dayan Wolff is the current Chief Rabbi and Av Bet Din of Amsterdam. He is a member of the Standing Committee of the Conference of European Rabbis.

Dayan Yehia Teboul - Av Beth Din of Lyon

Dayan Yehia Teboul, is an internationally recognised halachic authority, who studied for many years at the "Hahmey Zorfat" Yeshivah in Aix Les Bains, and at the Kollel of Marseille. Subsequently, Dayan Teboul was appointed as Rosh Kollel of Lyon, at which time he received his Yoreh-Yoreh and Yadin-Yadin rabbinical ordinations from Rabbi Yitzchak Kulitz. Dayan Teboul was appointed as a Dayan of the Beth Din of Lyon in 1995, and its Av Beth Din in 1997. He is the author of several books on all aspects of halachah entitled "Marot Yesharim”. He is a member of the Standing Committee of the Conference of European Rabbis.

Dayan Raphael Evers – Dayan of the ORD Beth Din in Germany

Dayan Raphael Evers served the Rabbi of the Union of Dutch Synagogues (NIK) since 1990. Concomitantly, he headed the “Beth Midrash Binyan Ariel” (school for Teachers and Rabbis) and represented the Dutch Jewish community in the public forum, handling public affairs and being responsible for press-releases, as well as radio and television interviews. Dayan Evers served as Chief Rabbi and Av Beth Din of Düsseldorf (Germany) between 2016 and 2021 and continues to be a Dayan of the Beth Din of Germany. Dayan Evers has written a nine-volume compendium of his halachic responsa on various modern halachic questions and problems. Dayan Evers is member of the Standing Committee of the Conference of European Rabbis.

Dayan Reouven Ohana - Av Beth Din Le’Giur in Marseille

Dayan Réouven Ohana is the Chief Rabbi of Marseille and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region (the third largest Jewish community in Europe). Dayan Ohana studied for many years at the Mir and Grodno Yeshivos in Israel. He is a Dayan of the Beth Din of Marseille and serves as its Av Beth Din Le’Giur since 2003. Moreover, he heads many educational organisations in Marseille, and serves as the Rosh HaYeshivah of “Merkaz HaLimoud”. He is a member of the Standing Committee of the Conference of European Rabbis.

Dayan Yaakov Hotoveli

Dayan Yakov Hotoveli is a native of Israel, where he studied for many years before being invited to lead Vienna's Jewish community of Georgian origin. With the encouragement and support of Dayan Chanoch Ehrentreu, Dayan Hotoveli established the Beth Din of Austria in 2015, and has served as its Av Beth Din ever since. The Beth Din of Austria was further appointed by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel to take responsibility for all Beth Din matters in Czechia.
Dayan Hotoveli is a member of the Standing Committee of the Conference of European Rabbis.

Standards

The EBD provides the full range of Beth Din services, which include the following areas: Supervision of Jewish Religious Divorce - Gittin (Jewish Divorce) The EBD arranges and oversees Jewish religious divorces, halachically referred to as a Get. The EBD strives to ensure that religious divorces are carried out in a sensitive and caring manner, with respect for the dignity of all participants in the process. The Beth Din subscribes to the highest standards of Jewish law to ensure the universal acceptance of Gittin administered under its auspices. The EBD also takes an active role in resolving cases involving spouses who refuse or are reluctant to grant or to receive a Get.

Sensitivity – The EBD is careful to treat every person with sensitivity and compassion and tries to make the Get process as smooth and comfortable as possible for all parties involved. The Beth Din has female staff members who are available to provide emotional and moral support to women who come to the Beth Din for a Get. Participants are also free to bring a friend to accompany them during the Get proceeding. A standard Get procedure is non-adversarial and does not involve litigation. If necessary, the Get process may be arranged in a manner that does not require the husband and wife to appear together. Cases are normally heard by a panel of three Dayanim or, on occasion, one single Dayan.

Expert Arbitration Judges - The Dayanim who sit in such cases include leading authorities on Jewish law, as well as lawyers and businessmen who are familiar with secular law and contemporary commercial practices. When appropriate, the Beth Din will either include expert professionals on an arbitration panel or consult them as expert witnesses.

Procedural Fairness - The EBD maintains an impartial and confidential relationship with each, and all parties involved in a Din Torah. Hearings take place in conformity with the Rules and Procedures of the Beth Din.

Legally Binding Rulings - Prior to having a case heard by the EBD, litigants are required to enter into a binding arbitration agreement. The Beth Din conducts its proceedings in a manner that is consistent with the requirements of secular arbitration law, pursuant to the New York Arbitration Convention, so that the rulings of the Beth Din are legally binding and internationally enforceable in the secular court system:

Confidentiality - The EBD recognises that personal halachic status investigations often involve inquiries into confidential personal and familial information. The Beth Din staff employs the utmost sensitivity and discretion when handling these matters and respects the confidentiality of all parties involved.

Expertise - The EBD, under the leadership of its Av Beth Din, Dayan Chanoch Ehrentreu, is a recognised authority in investigating and ruling on issues of Jewish halachic status. The Beth Din’s determinations and halachic rulings are respected across the Jewish world, both in Israel and in the Diaspora.

The Goals of the European Beth Din of the Conference of European Rabbis:

To serve Jewish communities in countries with no permanent and authorised Beth Din.
To arbitrate ethical issues between Rabbis who are members of the CER.
To respond and provide relevant guidance to halachic queries raised by the public.
To resolve internal conflicts within Jewish communities by means of expert mediation and arbitration.
To ensure that European Jewry is afforded top quality Beth Din services of the highest halachic standard in all areas of Jewish Law.

Services

(for any information, please write to us at beisdin@rabbiscer.org)

Why is a Get Necessary? - In order to end a Jewish marriage, halachah requires that a Get be willingly given. Even after undergoing a civil divorce, in the absence of a Get, neither husband nor wife would be able to remarry or be involved with another partner as, according to halachah, they are still married to each other.

The Get Process – The EBD is able to conduct the Get process in English, Hebrew, and if necessary, by another language spoken by the parties. The actual Get proceeding takes approximately 90 minutes. The officiating Dayan asks the parties some standard questions to ascertain their names (since the Get document must accurately identify the parties) and their desire to proceed with the Get process. The Get is written by a ritual scribe and signed by two authorised witnesses. The husband then presents the Get to the wife in the presence of the witnesses, thus effecting the divorce under Jewish law. Once the Get has been received by the wife, the Get parchment is cut by the supervising Dayan and it is stored in the Beth Din archives. The Beth Din issues a certificate (known as a p’tor) to both the husband and the wife. This is normally done once the civil divorce has also been finalised, at which point each party is free to remarry, within the parameters established by halachah.

Contested Get Cases - The EBD does everything in its power to avoid Agunah cases (i.e., cases involving a spouse who refuses to give a get, notwithstanding the functional dissolution of the marriage), and specialises in the resolution of Get cases involving a recalcitrant spouse who refuses or is reluctant to give or receive a Get. Matrimonial Mediation/Arbitration - In addition to the Get process, the EBD maintains an active practice in matrimonial cases dealing with property division, and in cases where the law of the land allows, custody and visitation agreements. Should the EBD be called upon to mediate and/or arbitrate on any of the aforementioned matrimonial matters, the Beth Din will convene a Din Torah (Jewish Arbitration Proceeding) in accordance with the requirements of Halachah, in the presence of expert Dayanim. experienced in adjudicating divorce cases. When appropriate and legally allowed to do so, the Beth Din may call on the services of a child psychologist, as an expert witness, to assist the panel in deciding custody and visitation matters.

Prenuptial Agreement The EBD’s Prenuptial Agreement is the most effective tool available to prevent future cases of Agunah, should a marriage break down. The Beth Din strongly urges its use by all couples who are getting married.

Dispute Resolution by Mediation and/or Arbitration - Din Torah The EBD has great expertise in Alternative Dispute Resolution by means of Mediation and/or Arbitration as part of a Din Torah. The Beth Din has worked with Jews across the religious and ideological spectrum and has earned a sterling reputation for handling dispute resolution cases in a professional and confidential manner, in full keeping with Halachah and secular law.

Types of Cases Handled - The EBD and its Dayanim regularly arbitrate a wide range of disputes among parties, ranging in value from small claims to litigations involving several million Euros. These cases include (amongst others):

Commercial (such as employer-employee; landlord-tenant; real-estate and property; business interference; breach of contract; breach of fiduciary duty; investor mismanagement; defective merchandise and unfair competition disputes).
Communal (such as rabbinic contract disputes and other congregational issues).
Familial (such as family business, inheritance and matrimonial) disputes.

Personal Status Determinations The EBD handles enquiries regarding the personal halachic status of individuals. These include questions relating to confirmation of being halachically Jewish, of being a Kohen, of being married or unmarried according to halachah, as well as situations where certain groups may or may not marry in accordance with Jewish Law.

Teudot Yahadut Viravakut – Certificate of being Jewish and Single Rabbis performing marriages, including under the auspices of the Chief Rabbinate of the State of Israel, will often require evidence that the parties wishing to get married are halachically Jewish, single and may marry each other. The Beth Din investigates the Jewish and unmarried status of individuals and, when appropriate, will issue a certificate confirming such status. Certificates issued by the EBD are recognised by the Chief Rabbinate of the State of Israel, as well as by all Rabbinical authorities across the Jewish world.

Conversion
The Halachic definition of a Jew is one who is born of a Jewish mother or has converted according to the Halachah, that is to say, in a way consistent with the requirements of Jewish law. Judaism is not a proselytising religion in that it does not actively seek to convert non-Jews to the faith. Nevertheless, Judaism is accepting of any person who sincerely wishes to belong to the Jewish people. By definition, conversion entails a commitment to a fully observant and practising Jewish lifestyle. Throughout the ages, people have converted to Judaism. Some of these converts have made a significant contribution to the Jewish people. Once a person is converted, he is considered fully Jewish in every respect. The Beth Din is invested by Jewish law with the authority and responsibility to judge objectively, the sincerity and suitability of our applicants. In doing so, its concern is not just to maintain standards of Jewish law and to be the guardian of Jewish status but to ensure that it is acting in a way that is best for the applicant. Changing one’s faith, in particular when it involves taking on the stringent standards of Jewish observance, is a huge undertaking. It should not be pursued because of some idealised notion of what it means to be a Jew, as a gesture of personal sacrifice for the sake of love, or in the expectation that it will resolve a mental or emotional anguish. Indeed, there should be no ulterior motive other than the genuine desire to join the Jewish people and its destiny. Quite apart from the fact that conversion for ulterior motives is Halachically flawed, conversion for the wrong reasons can also lead to deep personal unhappiness and inner conflict. The EBD will sympathetically consider an application for conversion from any person who sincerely wishes to be a Jew or Jewess. The condition for accepting any applicant for conversion, is that the Beth Din must be satisfied, that the applicant wishes to convert to Judaism for the sake of Judaism and would follow its path even if the relationship were to break down.

With a generous support of MATANEL Foundation:

Rabbi Yaakov S Gabay
Registrar of the European Beth Din of the CER

Rabbi Yaakov S. Gabay, originally from the UK, studied in Yeshivas Shaarei Torah in Manchester and the Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem.
After marrying Esther Ahouva Obadia, the daughter of a Maggid Shiur in the Yeshiva of Aix-les-Bains, France, he relocated to Geneva, Switzerland, where he joined the prestigious Kollel Torat Haim Yaacov.
After successfully completing several rabbinical ordinations, he was appointed the Rabbi of the Kollel community and Rosh Kollel for its evening programme.
Since 2020, he has served as the Rabbi of the Hekhal Haness Synagogue, the largest synagogue in Geneva.
In his role as Registrar of the European Beth Din of the Conference of European Rabbis (CER), Rabbi Gabay oversees its daily operations from his base in Switzerland.
Fluent in English, Hebrew, French, and Yiddish, he collaborates closely with rabbis and Jewish communities across Europe, coordinating halachic matters and ensuring the smooth functioning of the Beth Din, which addresses complex religious and legal issues.
Rabbi Gabay may be reached at beisdin@rabbiscer.org or on his telephone number: +41 78 200 8969.