By Yeshiva World News
Ali Hasan “Eliya” Hawila, the non-Jewish man who shocked the Jewish world after recently marrying a Jewish woman in Brooklyn, went public on Motzei Shabbos in an interview with Zev Brenner on Talkline.
Although Haliwa seemed to have genuinely developed an interest in Judaism, he engaged in extremely unethical behavior when instead of making the effort to convert, he began lying about his background due to the fear of being rejected by his Jewish friends. And then when he was ready to date, he registered on a Jewish dating site and continued lying despite the fact that he was well aware that Jews are prohibited from marrying non-Jews.
During the show, Hawila repeatedly portrayed himself as the victim rather than the people he deceived. He did pay lip service to being sorry for lying but didn’t seem to understand how unethical his behavior was, how damaging his actions were to those around him and how much pain he caused other people, especially the girl he married, due to his intentional deceit.
AUDIO:
Hawila said he was born to a Muslim Shi’ite family in Lebanon but never affiliated with the religion of Islam and never practiced it. “I don’t believe in Islam, it’s not my religion,” he said, adding that he never even stepped into a mosque.
“I had spiritual emptiness growing up,” he said. “My parents didn’t have a healthy relationship, they’re separated. My father lives in Lebanon and my mother lives in Texas with my younger brother. Growing up, I never clicked with people. I didn’t feel like I clicked with Lebanese culture. I suffered a lot. I had trouble communicating with people and wasn’t able to resonate with people on the same intellectual level.”
“My father is a US citizen and in high school, I realized I wouldn’t have any opportunities in Lebanon after I graduated so I begged my father to go to the US and establish himself so I and the rest of the family can join him when I was ready to go to college.”
“In 2014, when I was in high school, someone came to my school and spoke about world religions and I decided I wanted to explore religion due to my spiritual emptiness,” he said. He started exploring Judaism and he really connected to it. He began reading resources about Jewish law and teaching himself Hebrew. “I decided that I wanted to be Jewish and I started telling people this. Then people started spitting on me on the street and I got death threats. My father threatened not to bring me to America if I continued so I began laying low.”
When he came to America, to Texas, he began googling synagogues because he wanted to become Jewish. He claimed he reached out to a Reform synagogue but they never got back to him so he felt like he was being rejected and he decided to just continue his Jewish practices and tell people he was Jewish.
When he started college at Texas A&M University, he went to the Hillel House and when they asked him if he was Jewish, he said yes because he was scared they would reject him otherwise. “I didn’t know any better,” he said. When he started going to the Chabad house, they asked him if his mother was Jewish and he said yes. “It pains me that I lied to the Chabad Rav and no one should blame him,” he said. “They should blame me but they should understand my pain.”
He didn’t want to date a non-Jewish girl so he dated Jewish girls, telling them of course that he was Jewish. He met a few Jewish girls but they didn’t work out and then in January he was matched to the girl he would eventually marry. After a few Zoom dates, he flew to New York to see her.
He made up the story about working for the National Security Agency (NSA) because when he was dating his “wife,” she came to Texas and he took her to a gun shooting site and they had to present IDs. He pulled out an ID, which was a passport card and she saw his legal name which wasn’t Eliya. Later, she confronted him and he was afraid he would lose so he told her that he works for the NSA and the passport card is his NSA identity card for a mission.
A week after the wedding, his “wife’s” father started to Google his last name and they discovered his true background. “They went crazy,” he said. “I wanted to cover things up so I lied more and more. I was afraid they were taking her away from me, I’m finally living a Jewish life. She’s the love of my life and they’re going to take her away.”
“They took her away from me. I was struggling for a week so I can make up something so I can get my wife back and my Jewish life back. I started making up names, making up insane stories.”
When Brenner asked him if he really thought he could get away forever with his lie about being Jewish, he responded: “All I was thinking about was that I didn’t want to lose her.” In answer to Brenner’s question about whether he realized he caused her pain, he said: “I will beg her for forgiveness for the rest of my life and beg for a second chance.”
“I am begging anybody to convert me and I prefer to be converted in Israel,” he concluded.
Nobody will ever convert him now.
I don’t know why zev Brenner even interviewed him. Clicks?
Information is always good. It gives a clear picture of what’s going on, brings awareness of these situations in the future, and can give closure- to a certain extent- to the victims
So that’s what it’s all about. Him losing his own love. What about her? I’m sorry but this man is not lying his way into a pizza shop… he is dealing with real life. Marriage. which is fundamentally built on trust. it’s a full-life commitment. to be true and real to a person. Did he truly love her? Why is he ready to completely destroy her life by upholding the most basic information about himself, his identity. The Probation of intermarriage is well-known among all religions. If he loved her why did he make her marry a non-jew? This is… Read more »
You’re coming from a perspective that acknowledges an “etzem’dike” connection between the religion and its followers; in islam, however – and the basic common sense that preceded most of the worlds belief systems – religion is entirely based on the belief. the word “moslem” translates to “one who is bottel to hashem”, something that does not automatically apply to someone simply born to “moslem” parents. Most christians go even further: all believers must go through baptism, almost a personal giur lehavdil. So to say that even though he believes in Judaism, follows its laws, fulfills its customs – even then… Read more »
He’s blown any chance of ever being converted…even Reform wouldn’t want him. He has some real mental illness!
Sadly true
At best, your comment is lashon harah, though it teeters on hotzaat shem ra. Do you know for a fact that “reform will convart anybody with a check”? To the contrary, the Reform Rabbis code of ethics forbids rabbis from accepting money for conversion.
“It is essential that the relationship of the rabbi with a prospective ger (convert) avoid any semblance of commercialism. The mitzvah to instruct prospective converts and to officiate at their ceremonies of gerut (conversion ) precludes the charging of rabbinic fees.”
the denials of reform and their efforts to prevent said “commercialism” doesn’t preclude its existence; if anything, the reform movement has an acknowledged lack of control over its rabbis (which has sometimes led to breakaway movements, sometimes not); and even if we believe that it doesn’t exist and there are never any cash-for-conversion transactions, reform as a movement does not force any jewish preconditions for giur, e.g. belief in the jewish religion (talking about how converts should have “jewish ethics” is an oxymoron from a reform perspective, where anyone can form their own definition of “jewish ethics”). ergo, reform will… Read more »
What are chances that he had no clue that a non jew marrying a jewish girl is such a big deal?
What if he was never told clearly that if he is not jewish he should not be seeking jewish events or jewish girls?
What if he hung around jewish organizations for a few years and was made to feel welcomed?
What if he was never told he needs convert?
If he truly felt confident around our jewish organizations, then maybe he is indeed the victim as the rebbe would mention passionately in the מי יהודי sichos.
If you would’ve listened to the podcast you would’ve heard that he tried to do a reform conversion however “I gave up because he didn’t respond“
“I knew I was lying, but I have a Jewish soul bla bla…“
Don’t make yourself a victim when you knew very well that you are the perpetrator of such a heinous lie to the one & the entire Jewish Nation you claim to love. You also knew very well that like so many of my friends you needed to convert according to the Laws of Moses however long it may take & you would have been welcomed with opened arms. instead you built a web of lies and now you want her to trust & believe you. She is probably so repulsed by your actions. I pray she will overcome any trust… Read more »
“He portrayed himself as victim rather then the people he deceived. ” I see the situation differently. He had to go to this extreme to get to marry a jewish girl because no one was willing to support him in his decision to become a kosher jew. He already had hard time from his parents and people he was in contact with. PLUS the Jewish community? Why do yidden give hard time that forces non jews, BT etc… to lie to FFBS to “get through?!” I’m not giving going into all the illegal stuff that FFBS lie about to “get… Read more »
He didn’t even attempt an Orthodox conversion or even bother reaching out to more than 1 place about a Reform conversion. That’s not being rejected by everyone, that’s giving up and taking the easy way out. There are people in far more difficult circumstances than his who do whatever it takes to become Jewish. He does not deserve sympathy.
He went to one reform synagogue that ignored him. He could have tried at least one more time if he really wanted to be Jewish. If he is admitting to lying so many times and even lieing to the person he claims to love the most such a life changing lie, how can we trust anything he says? No healthy relationship can be based off of a lie. Also, if he so desperately wanted to marry a Jew, how could he possibly allow the Jew he loved so much to do what he didn’t want for himself- marry a Non… Read more »
1. He could have tried more? Perhaps. But isn’t it easier for people to do things fraudlike then truthful? Why when FFB yidden do fraud it’s okay? Why not conduct their business fairly? He tried once. He saw it’s not working. So he tried it the “easier” way out. Common, most people do things that way. 2. He lied so much? Welcome to most of humanity. Especially in shidduchim. People are led to believe one thing, when after marriage it goes to divorce. And this is amongst yidden! Again, I’m not on his side. I’m just saying remember he is… Read more »
1- If He converted is one thing if he did not
אין קידושין תופסין בו
“The rules of jewish marriage dont apply to him”.
2- in halacha its brought down.
That you check to see if the guy put his eyes on a jewish girl and thats why he wants to convert.
His desire to be Jewish began way before he set his eyes on this girl. That is ridiculous. Did you even listen to the podcast?
What about the young woman who agreed to become his wife??!!!
She’s the one who deserves compassion. Nothing is comparable to the pain that he’s caused her.
May she find refua and not be scarred by this trauma!!
Why does he HAVE to marry a Jewish girl?? If he MUST marry a Jewish girl, why doesn’t he convert first? Sorry, no excuse….(sounds to me he was more into companionship than Judaism)
How did this even become a conversation about ffb/bt
This is about a person who claims (if he’s NOW saying the truth) that he wanted to join the Jewish nation and marry a specific girl and lied throughout the last many years to keep up the image he had created that he was a Jew.
Don’t put BT and non jews together. He is not even a potential convert
You need therapy
There is a reason why Torah has a process for Giyur… Lying isn’t one of them.
Besides I feel bad, the poor girl is beating herself up and they make this guy famous and all of a sudden he becomes a victim???
I don’t see why, if he now chooses to convert halachically, he would be able to, and if his love, loves him, and can accept his lie based on love and not clear understanding of the depth-to-jews of the necessity to take certain steps… it might work. then again, i’m not marrying him, so…
If they had some romantic spark, it would be the most honorable thing for her if he converts and they remarry properly.
My summation
He seems to need a lot of therapy and guidance
And he would need a lot of therapy and help to move forward
But maybe he can be brought to a place of health
He did commit an act of deception
But maybe there’s room for him to fix his ways, get help, and maybe eventually convert
BH
BSD
Seems like he was naive is all..
Too bad for him…he didnt just inquire about converting properly….he should do ALOT..to somehow be so apologetic to all…he should have been public…immediately when this come out..the man made mistakes…that what it comes down to…..my heart goes out to the kallah…and her family….the rabbis involved..
he didnt know ….could it be with his not the best of experiences with family etc..and his muslim neighbors etc…he just wanted a peaceful rewarding fulfilling life spiritually….in all its physical realms…
Hashem bless him and all those he hurt..
As long as he wasn’t lying after, too… Then I’d agree with you. Unfortunately I don’t think I’d trust him, and probably all (or most) rabbonim won’t either so converting is probably out of question for him
Now some leftist rabbi will convert him and it will be recognized by the recent Israeli ruling on non orthodox conversions
Who knows. With his strong feeling for yiddishkeit, could he be jewish? Could his mother or maternal grandmother or great grandmother actually be jewish? Of course the right way would be to convert. Also someone wanting to convert is meant to be turned down a few times so the excuse that he tried and was turned down once doesnt really justify anything. A convert is meant to persist after rejection, he however persisted in the wrong way. It is interesting though that growing up where he did he wanted to be jewish.
Exactly. He must have a Jewish soul
Now we should belive his tell all
He’s not naïve, he’s a narcissist. Even caught red handed he can’t take the blame but blames the Jewish community? Red 🚩 flag 🚩.
Divorce him and run!
I hope this sweet girl isn’t traumatized for life.
Finally,after 2000 comments from every site,someone intelligent and informed,who says the right word,narcissist.It’s incredible how much there are of them among “converts”.
G-d forbid we have enough of those in “born Jewish” Jews. I don’t agree he’s a narcissistic. Most of the above comments are cruel and definitely don’t sound like they are coming from Frum people who follow the Rebbe. People have lost the plot. Obviously you people have had no experience with gerim or beis dins. בה You obviously have no empathy for this guy (btw, you can have empathy for both the girl and the guy, at the same time, you know)! For someone who feels a spark of Jewishness inside them (I wouldn’t call it mental illness) it… Read more »
Can we learn that we should be proud jews, and tell a ספק jew clearly that if he isnt for sure jewish he should go convert or his relationship with our mosdos our mekuravim is not good for us and is not good for him?
Instead of being “inclusive” and tip toeing around him while he hangs out in our mosdos and our mekuravim etc
Or is this mamash a case where we did our part but were totally ripped off?
Im sure he dated jewish girls in texas a&m, it only hit home when he married a frum girl, shame on us for not putting out the fire earlier.
He is a liar and needs help but her and her family missed obvious red flags too – NSA? Come on.
Just listened to the entire 51 min of this podcast. Frankly, I needed to step back a bit and rethink this entire story. 1) you have a young man, a boy, growing up in Lebanon. His family was an unhealthy environment Torn within his emotions, psyche & mentally. Trying to figure out who he is, what he is and finding meaning and purpose in life. It’s a struggle so many of us have. Myself included within the yeshiva system. I know it I feel it and understand it very well. Results of 5-10-15 years of struggle. Searching with all ones… Read more »
Intelligence doesn’t equal emotional intelligence.
He literally spends 99% if the time felling bad about himself and can’t even think about her pain for a minute and to make matters worse he keeps on tormenting her and confessing love for her.
This guy has some serious issues.
Whenever someone hurts someone else really badly and spends most of his time feeling bad about himself you know something is wrong.
Con artists are masters of deception. They get people to believe them. They have a self serving goal. I can’t believe his audacity to share personal details of the story in a public interview. Gives himself away by lying and sharing private information publicly and talking so much about love!!
I’m no rov yet I think the rabonim should convert him Being eligible for giurus one must show sincerity and intent. This guy has shown both. He was obviously wrong on how he went about it but you can’t say that he didn’t want it with his whole heart He seems to have emunah, practices Mitzvos and learns Torah. Let him now go through the appropriate process and become a Yid If that happens, you save a marriage (invisibly they would have to remarry – if she still wants him) and you can show the world what proper giur is… Read more »
sincerity? intent? this guy is a con artist. and there is no way this girl would marry him again after he lied to her and manipulated her. save a marriage? what??!! theres no marriage to save, and even if there was, highly unlikely anyone would want to ‘save it’. emunah and keeps torah? no. hes not jewish. he lied to get someone to marry him. he either has severe mental issues and needs help or hes just a bad person. I’m hoping the former, but that doesnt excuse his actions in any way nor does it show anything good about… Read more »
How someone wrote here: “He dealt more with relationships than with Judaism” – conversion is not related here
When a person converts, all previous sins are forgiven. If he genuinely wants to become a Jew, and takes all the necessary steps, he must be accepted like anybody else. It’s sad what we did, but I don’t think that can be used as a reason to reject him forever.
The people of Shechem wanted to convert to marry into Yaakov Avinu’s family. “Geirei Arayos” means they “converted” to be able to get the “Jewish women” which is invalid. Sounds like this person is in the same category. Hope the person he took did not develop feelings for him, like Dinah did.
“Geirei Arayos” means they “converted” to be able to get the “Jewish women”
No…. But I really liked the play on words 😂
I feel so bad for the girl and her family. He clearly has issues that I believe can be worked through. Let’s not JUDGE him so harshly. Perhaps, if he is genuine and truly has emunah, converts properly then perhaps (if the young lady and her family) will have him back then maybe this can turn into a happy ending and not a dreadful one. I wish them both HAPPINESS.
In our day and age you can find out EVERYTHING about a person for a small fee on the internet knowing just the person’s cell phone number. All the “googling “ should be done prior to the prospective couple ever meet in person.
I hope that HaShem grants compete healing to everyone involved in this ordeal.
I can’t believe a word
He keeps trying to convince
He can still be a threat. We can’t take chances.
Should require at least 1 rabbinical reference for membership
I don’t believe any word he had said. And no one stupid enough would believe him now.
Oyy poor girl! I feel so bad for her! Does anyone know if she’s pregnant?
Not me. This is complete deffamation of character. Please stop hating gentiles and coverts so much.
The way he was speaking was not love, it was obsession. He needs emotional help or he could end up being dangerous !!!
Men and women do this all the time. They put on there best face for the wedding, and then once you get married you find out who the person really is. This may be a more extreme version, but no reason to cyberbully a gentile or person who wants to convert.
This story just showing problem about how difficult to take Giyur. That more easy to learn Hebrew, Torah and changing life style. Then be approved by our rabonym
I am sorry I do not have sympathy for this man. As a woman who saw herself as being Jewish at young age, but I did it the right way and I never gave up. I have been halachically Jewish for over 25 years but never deceived anyone to get here.
He should be converted and reunited with his wife and remarried. Many converts have been converted with less conviction, education and dedication. He is exactly what a convert is. He wanted to be Jewish before he met her. He was drawn to Judaism from the start. Once you tell the Rabbanim you are Jewish you can’t turn around and say you are not once they embrace you. Once you say you aren’t Jewish he is not invited and no one will embrace him and have him over for shabbos. So how can he backtrack and then say he’s not Jewish?… Read more »
People are missing the point. The focus shouldn’t be that he isn’t Jewish. That is fixable – he can covert. But he never did. the focus should be that he lived as an imposter. the life he presented is a lie. Some lies you can forgive but something of this magnitude when marriage is supposed to be based on a foundation of trust is irreparable. I can’t stand all the headlines saying young bride discovers her “husband isn’t jewish” it should be “young bride discovers she was lied to, deceived and married to someone she didn’t know”
“Some lies you can forgive but something of this magnitude when marriage is supposed to be based on a foundation of trust is irreparable.”
Their relationship may be busted and he did do a terrible thing. However that doesn’t mean that he cannot do tshuva. He can be megayer if he wants to. She may or may not forgive him but that doesn’t mean that he cannot become a ger. People with much greater aveiros did tshuva.
This guy is still lying 1) there is no such a thing in Lebanon , especially in southern Lebanon , “beautiful world religion conference” , and schools would never teach anything about Judaism 2) learning Hebrew is actually encouraged by hezbollah so young people may learn early on the language and culture of the “enemy” 3) if he started learning Hebrew back in Lebanon he probably got some private lessons , many hizb guys speak Hebrew fluently 4) if he really felt emptiness he could’ve easily gone to a church and convert to Christianity like many others do in Lebanon… Read more »
using Google translate:
The Lebanese University and the American University have sponsored the teaching of Hebrew as an optional language among oriental languages such as Aramaic, Syriac, and Latin, in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and the Department of Archeology at the Lebanese University, and the Hezbollah group is also responsible for teaching Hebrew in Lebanon in specialized centers, according to what was published by the newspaper 2009 https://www.albayan.ae/one-world/2009-02-08-1.403874
from https://archive.ph/33H03
Author https://raseef22.net/author/49457-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF-%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%86 Mohamed Wazen is an Egyptian journalist and expert in Israeli, Arab and international affairs.
The Arab language press is treating him as a clever con man:
The Lebanese version of Raafat Al-Hagan
https://ms-my.facebook.com/almolakhsgate/videos/916172725672551/
and
Alghad TV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GzSywVmQkg
After reading virtually every article on this and hearing his own words on the podcast, I feel sorry for him and for the bride and her family… a tragic situation all around for everyone involved. He sounds very sincere and could make for a wonderful member of the faith if he properly converts. Yes, he lied and it spiraled out of control but regardless of what’s in store for them both, it’s up to her to forgive or not. Syrians tragically don’t accept converts but if she does truly love him perhaps they can marry and live elsewhere. The only… Read more »