A new bill authorizing the opening of 88 new offices for the
registration of marriages and divorces is expected to pass its second
and third reading tomorrow, "revolutionizing" the delivery of religious
services in Israel – and haredim strongly oppose it.
Ha'aretz reports:
A new bill authorizing the opening of 88 new offices for the registration of marriages and divorces is expected to pass its second and third reading tomorrow, revolutionizing the delivery of religious services in Israel.
According to the proposed law, couples will be able to choose the rabbi officiating at their wedding regardless of their officially registered residence. Until now, they were restricted to their registered residence. The so-called “Tzohar bill” [after a group of liberal Modern Orthodox/Zionist Orthodox rabbis] bears the sole signature of MK Eitan Cabel (Labor), since earlier signatories were either appointed to government posts or not reelected to the present Knesset.
Cabel's bill is widely supported by both coalition and opposition members, but is a red flag for the ultra-Orthodox parties.…
“The new revolution will bring segments of the public closer to Judaism, after they had distanced themselves following the harshness and ossification associated with it under the rabbinical leadership. A wedding or divorce is an intimate procedure, and it is appropriate that a couple can choose the rabbi they wish to work with.…”