For most Israelis in the Jewish state, there is one legal way to get married – God’s way. Israeli law empowers only Orthodox rabbis to officiate at Jewish weddings, but popular opposition is growing to this restriction and to what some Israelis see as an Orthodox stranglehold on the most precious moments of their lives….
(JTA) — It is a cause that elicited cheers from a roomful of participants at the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly. Leading politicians have long championed it and are now trying to push it through a divided Knesset. Nearly two-thirds of Israelis support it, and activists say it’s crucial for ensuring Israel’s future…
Israel’s Chief Rabbinate says it does not have a list of Diaspora rabbis whose testimony it accepts, despite turning down the testimony of the rabbis of immigrants wishing to clarify their Jewish and marital status. The Tzohar organization, a group of rabbis that works to make rabbinic services more user friendly for all Israelis, asked…
Advocates for religious pluralism in Israel thought they scored a minor victory last month with the passage of a law aimed at loosing the regulations surrounding marriage in the Jewish state. For the first time, couples could choose an Orthodox rabbi from anywhere in Israel to marry them, not just one from their hometowns. But…
The Forward 50 is our annual look at the American Jews who made a difference in the past year. Each day, we will spotlight one of our Top 5 picks, leading up to Sunday night when the entire package — along with some very special surprises — will go live. Who would have predicted that…
A law easing marriage restrictions was passed by the Knesset, and every citizen will now be able to choose the religious council in which his marriage will take place. This is a positive development, making things easier, but it doesn’t really solve the problem as Israelis are still bound by law to get married exclusively…
In a landmark vote, the Knesset has allowed Israeli Jewish couples to do what their American counterparts have long done: Shop for a rabbi. The Knesset vote marked the first tangible gain for secular Israel since the country’s ultra-Orthodox parties were frozen out of the government after the last election. But the new law still…
A bill that would legalize civil marriages in Israel was submitted to the Knesset. Under the measure presented Tuesday by the Yesh Atid party, any two people — no matter their religion or sexual orientation — could enter into a civil union with the same legal status as any marriage. The bill would create a…
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