Minister of Culture & Sport (Likud) Limor Livnat told Galei Tzahal(Army Radio) on Thursday morning, 17 Teves 5772, that the Ministry of Religious Affairs must realize it is time to make sure women can enjoy equal rights when attending levayas in Israel. This includes the right for women to speak at a levaya, to give a eulogy, to participate in the actual burial, and to take an active part in the service, whatever one interprets this to include.
She added that no less important is the matter of one engraving what one wishes on a tombstone, and despite a High Court ruling from a number of years ago supporting this, it is known that all too often a chevra kadisha will not permit a bereaved family to inscribe a tombstone as they wish, telling them they must conform with the chevra’s regulations.
Livni explained that the ministry is responsible for providing religious services to all, that means different religions and different folds of the Jewish People, and this means the chevra must accommodate others and their minhagim and wishes, even if those minhagim are contrary to the ways of the chevra kadisha.
Livnat adds that she is pressuring the Ministry of Religious Affairs to begin complying with state law, to issue licenses for alternative burial services as required and to stop acting as an arm of Orthodox Jewry. She Stated she will not be deterred and she will continue pressuring the ministry and the chevra kadishas nationwide until everyone knows this is “a state of law and order”.
The minister added, “This is a democratic nation, not a nation of Halacha. Therefore we will not compel anyone to bury their loved ones only in accordance with Halacha, but everyone may do as they see fit”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
5 Responses
“This is a democratic nation, not a nation of Halacha”. That is precisely the problem with Eretz Yisrael. If they would only follow Halacha…
In the long run, the American system, based on freedom of religion, is preferable to having a system whereby the government, which may not always be friendly, tells people how to worship and which religious laws are binding.
One should remember that when the Americans decided to separate “church and state”, it was in many ways to protect organized religion from government control (since previously, clergy were civil servants, and matters of rituals and theology were decided by politicians)
Akuperma, not just in many ways. It was specifically for that purpose. How weird it is that today the whole freedom of religion is only used against religions.
@ahavas well said!!! If they care so much about “religious rights” why would they force frum soldiers to listen to a woman singing? Liberalism is so much worse in the Israel.
The Supreme Court addressed the issue in 2 and 3 yesterday in a 9-0 opinion which — at least at first glance — is in favor of religious institutions.
http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/11pdf/10-553.pdf