Just when you think you have read every scandal and story-line imaginable, another article comes along to eclipse your prior understanding. If you read the website of the Bet Din of Johannesburg and their “esteemed” curriculum for conversion one might be impressed by the values portrayed. However, it’s merely a mask and not representative of the reality at all.
As you read the requirements and the FAQ’s of conversion it states: 1) You must learn Hebrew, but Chaya cannot read Hebrew. Chaya cannot pray the “Shmoneh Esreh”, she cannot say “Berachot”, she cannot say the bed time “Shema”. 2) It says you must be kosher, but Chaya frequents Woolworths and buys her daughter dinner there several times a week. 3) It says you can remain in a relationship with a Jewish person. How about an illicit affair when you are a married woman? Chaya was married to Michael Crane in January 2022 in Safed, Israel. (pictures included below) After a lengthy investigation in 2025 it was discovered that Chaya was having and continues an extramarital affair with Ephraim Stern. Both Stern and Ron Hendler were confronted with the infidelity, no “Get” has ever been issued and the Bet Din gave Chaya a conversion anyway. They are claiming the 2 prior conversions in Israel were not sufficient and therefore she is considered as never married. This staunchly flies in the face of Jewish Law “halacha” as well as common sense. Both Rabbi Dovid Haller and Rabbi Ron Hendler demanded a “Get” and then abandoned the idea when Crane resisted under the circumstances. Ephraim Stern spoke with Hendler who said, “Don’t worry, I will take care of this”.
Let us continue along this path of hypocrisy. 4) The Bet Din says it is a lengthy process to convert, at least 2 years, but Chaya was frequently living in Israel with her husband until January 2025. When did she have the time to properly convert under the Bet Din’s rules? 5) Why is the Bet Din ignoring the 2 prior conversions in Israel, one of which is the world renowned Corelitz Bet Din? If they made a formal ruling that the conversions are not permitted by Jewish Law “halacha”, the Bet Din must then issue this decree in writing and serve the husband, they have not. 6) In Jewish Law if there is infidelity the Bet Din must warn the man in this case to stay away from the married woman, they refuse to do so. 7) In Jewish Law there are severe consequences for having a relationship with a married woman including being excommunicated from the Jewish Community, not being permitted to conduct business, however again the Bet Din has not followed Jewish Law and then offers Chaya a 3rd conversion? Does any of this make sense at all?
Furthermore, 8) According to Jewish Law, Ephraim Stern can never have any relationship with Chaya whatsoever, even if Crane finally divorces her, Chaya will always be off limits due to the severe violation of the Torah, that being commandment #10. That is Jewish Law, plain and simple. 9) Then we have Chaya lying to Yeshiva College, changing her daughter’s name illegally, eventually being asked to leave. The lying alone disqualifies Chaya from a conversion. 10) Chaya provided a fraudulent letter from Rabbi Haller to a school in Israel claiming her older daughter Montana was born Jewish as well, another lie, another disqualification from the conversion process.
If Chaya were to marry Ephraim Stern you would place other rabbis at risk of committing very severe transgressions against the Torah. If they conceived a child, it would be considered a “mamzer”, an illegitimate child that could never marry. The results would literally be catastrophic to the Jewish People and this is the direction Ephraim Stern and Chaya are traveling under the auspices of the Johannesburg Bet Din.
