Some 250 rabbonim of cities and municipalities convened in a kenos in Petach Tikvah on Sunday, 8 Tammuz 5773 along with a number of prominent rabbonim in the community. The rabbonim, all civil servants, addressed the planned religious services reform being led by the Bayit Yehudi party and Minister of Religious Services Naftali Bennett and his deputy, Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan. The rabbonim agreed that if left alone, the Bayit Yehudi reform of marriage registration throughout Israel will result in irreparable damage. As such, they plan to turn to Ben-Dahan seeking the formation of a steering committee.
The rabbonim envision the committee would include representatives of the rabbonim serving around the country, the Chief Rabbinate, and the political party towards understanding the needs and instituting an acceptable reform, not one that may have devastating results. Most or at least many of the rabbonim attending the kenos are more in line with the dati leumi older guard, rabbonim such a Rabbi Yaakov Shapira (Rosh Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav), Rabbi Micha Halevy (Chief Rabbi of Petach Tikvah) and Rabbi Ratzon Arussi (Chief Rabbi of Kiryat Ono).
Rabbi Yosef Shalush insists the rabbonim who are familiar with the marriage registration process because they live it daily must be part of the decision making process, warning of the ominous results of a unilateral reform carried out to the exclusion of the rabbonim involved in the process today.
The rabbonim also decided that an effort must be launched to repair and improve the image of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and Yiddishkheit, agreeing they have suffered greatly during this period ahead of elections for new Chief Rabbis of Israel. This was addressed in the remarks made by Rehovot Chief Rabbi Simcha HaKohen Kook.
Chief Rabbi Yonah Metzger was not in attendance due to a trip to Canada which preceded the announcement of the kenos. He sent a message opposing the planned reform as described by the Bayit Yehudi party. The chief rabbi warns that regionalizing marriage registration throws everyone into one basket, from the Eida Chareidis to the non-frum and he feels this would not be advantageous.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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2 Responses
reform of marriage registration —- Can anyone with honest information and factual data explain what is the problem with a couple registering in another district for their wedding?
We live in the age of high technology and info at the fingertips. What is the ISSUE?
This is an example of the out of control official rabbinate. Anyone can be mesader kedushin at a wedding — you don’t need to be a rabbi and at least in theory even a woman can officiate. And if the proper procedure is followed, the couple is legally married under halachah, official rabbinate or no official rabbinate. The Bayit Yehudi party should be commended for this much needed reform.