The Knesset State Control Committee met on Wednesday, 19 Cheshvan 5774 to discuss a recent State Comptroller’s report dealing with marriage registration.
Committee Chairman (Shas) Amnon Cohen requested to inform any couple having difficulty proving their Jewishness to avoid their reserving a wedding hall and then having to postpone the wedding. In addition, he wishes to simplify the marriage registration process to permit applicants to do so online. He feels the start of the process requires basic information which can be done online and there is no reason for one to lose time at work to do so.
Deputy Minister of Religious Services Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan, who has been a longtime opponent to the endless bureaucracy, vowed he will fire anyone who insists on challenging the system.
Cohen also feels that any rabbi who is certified to hold the post of chief rabbis of a city should automatically be eligible to conduct a chupah and he promises to monitor the situation so “this injustice is corrected within a month.”
Ben-Dahan vowed he will push through legislation that will determine disciplinary action, including dismissing one from his post, for those who continue to defy the Chief Rabbinate’s directives. Rabbi Ben-Dahan intends to elevate the position of a chief rabbi of a city which today is frowned upon by many. He promises to act with the full might of his office against any chief rabbis of cities who feel they have the right to act as they please. “No one was born a chief rabbi of a city” Ben-Dahan added, insisting he will restore order in the system.
“If the Chief Rabbinate Council will not address it, I will promote legislation that will to discipline a chief rabbi of a city. There are rabbonim who need to decide if they wish to work in the state system or seek employment elsewhere.” Rabbi Ben-Dahan added he hopes to push through legislation that will include criminal punishment for marriage, divorce and conversions conducted by private rabbonim outside of the system.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
Shehecheyanu!
It sounds as if he is, among other things, waging war against Roshei Yeshiva and the Eida Chareidis Rabbonim. He will arrest a man of the stature of Rav Aviezer Piltz or Rav Moshe Shternbuch for conducting weddings? This will not go over lightly.
The Chief Rabbis and any Charedi Rabbi are above Ben Dahan and above secular made up laws and legislations pertaining to conversions and marriage. For the good of the Jewish nation, Ben Dahan and other politicians must stay out of all halachic ruling. We don’t need more goyim in our midst.
Mr. Ben-Dahan’s is irrelevant to the frum community.
#2- It is perfectly clear that he is referring to rabbis employed by the state and, specifically, to chief rabbis of cities. Last I heard, members of the Eida are not employed by the state.