A couple from Rishon L’Tzion was looking for a wedding hall but the one they selected would not work as the operator refused to book their wedding after learning they planned to read portions from the New Testament at the ceremony.
The couple has decided to file a NIS 100,000 lawsuit against the Yavne wedding hall because according to them, they were refused simple because of their religious beliefs.
The couple was looking for a hall six months ago. It was clear to them that they were going to read from the New Testament during the ceremony along with performing a number of other Christian customs as they explained that while being Jewish, they are believers in “J”. Obviously, such a ceremony is also not sanctioned by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.
They finally found the hall that would work for them, both the ambiance and the cost. They began finalizing the wedding with the manager. During their discussion they explained details about the actual wedding ceremony and the hall representative objected, explaining this was not possible. They add the hall owner agreed to permit the wedding providing they eliminate reading portions of the New Testament.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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9 Responses
Ashrechah to Simcha Hall Operator who refused to do this wedding! May Hashem speedily eradicate the leaders of the reform, conservative, open orthodoxy, women of the wall and Jews for J. from the face of the world!
If I assume that it’s a privately-owned hall, can’t the owner refuse anybody on any basis? That’s the free-enterprise system, no?
This should make for some very interesting legal argument.
Their case ought not hold water, since Israel permits freedom of religious belief, but they do (still, so far) restrict weddings and divorces of Jews to take place as per Torah law. They can go to Cypress I guess, or have the guts to go all the way and disown their religion. No one stops a christian from having a christian wedding in Israel. The term “Messianic Jew,” btw, is such a lame euphemism. Really messed up. If I recite the 13th Ani ma’amin every day, doesn’t that make me a Messianic Jew? Call them Jews for J and nothing less.
Christians are reaping the ripe field of Jews who have no knowledge of Judaism. Instead of spending so much energy and finances in America trying to make baal teshuvas, oftentimes with the “Jew” being of questionable Jewish background, I think it makes more sense to target the Jews in Israel who are for the most part real Jews and children from kosher marriages.
These types of people address only interested in raising a ruckus and nothing substantial.
Philosopher –
your name is an oxymoron like jumbo shrimp . Please don’t post and show your ignorance. The Bal teshuva movement in America does target real Jews. Sorry some of us don’t have a shtar Yichus like you but our ancestors were busy fleeing the nazis and communists. Your statement that Israel is full of real jews? Hello law of return allows anyone with any Jewish blood to go there. There are hundreds of thousands of non halachic Jews in Israel.
Yosef stern-
Shouldn’t we daven that they do teshuva? I know several balei teshuva whose parents were part of non Torah based “Jewish״ movements
Furthermore there is a lot of Kiriv going on in Israel so don’t be so ignorant
Moderators- yesterday you posted about rabbi mizrachi questioning the yehichus of holocaust victims and today you allow someone to comment about the legitimacy of Torah observant Jews? Why the double standard?
Kol Hakavod to the owner!
This religious freedoms argument is getting old, and so is blaming the rabbinate for everything. Why do laws of religious freedom in Israel only apply to Christians? Where are the JEWISH PEOPLE’s RELIGIOUS FREEDOMS and right to be a religious Jew in the Holy Land? Conducting a religious ceremony and reading the new testament turns the hall into a place of worship for a religion Judaism views as idolatry. According to halacha, a Jews can’t even walk into the place if this occurs! This is a huge problem, and the owner was right to refuse. His rights should be upheld and he should be supported.
If you’d be willing to publish the name of the hall, some of us would like to show our support. Thanks!
frumguy33, I wrote MOST for a reason. As of this time, most Israeli Jews are indeed, Jews. If more is not done quickly then this will unfortunately change.
Regarding the effort to make baal teshuvas in America, I disagree with you regarding yichus. I don’t have shtar yichus and neither did the Jews coming out of mitzrayim. It was Ben achar Ben, or rather Ben/bas achar bas which you don’t have here. I am absolutely not denigrating baalei teshuvas, a lot of them are on a higher madreiga than me and I absolutely never questioned the kashrus or authenticity of baalei teshuvas. All I said is that a lot of effort is going to people who are not Jewish nor kosher. I know of one non-Jewish girl who described how she went to a Jewish camp and she was forced to keep Shabbos even if she wasn’t Jewish. I’ve met another non-Jewish girl who was mistakenly identified as Jewish, a lot of kiruv was invested in her, and in the end she turned out to be non-Jewish.
In Jewish history there were numerous times where Jews assimilated and Rabonim and klal yisroel never had such notions as “doing “kiruv”. I just feel kiruv in Eretz Yisroel is different for a variety of reasons.