Raiders of the Public Coffers

We Have Never Been So Close to Civil Marriage

23/04/2023 12:07

At the beginning of March 2023, the Supreme Court accepted Hiddush’s arguments and dismissed the State's appeal against the ruling of the Jerusalem Administrative Court on the issue of "Utah marriages". The Jerusalem Administrative court ruled in favor of the petition filed by Hiddush and ordered that the Population Authority and the Ministry of the Interior are obligated to register as married any couple who marry through the “Utah online marriage". The ruling of the Supreme Court concludes the legal part of Hiddush’s two-year battle against the Minister of the Interior and the Population Authority and enables thousands of couples to marry in a civil marriage without having to leave Israel. Unfortunately (and shamefully) civil marriage and divorce in Israel are still a distant reality, but the ruling of the Supreme Court constitutes a breakthrough in the struggle for freedom of marriage. You can read more about the ruling of the Supreme Court here.

Abraham Should Be Our Jewish Role Model, Not Smotrich

15/03/2023 09:28

Smotrich wants us to believe that he represents the authentic model for Judaism. is no model more abhorrent and further from the desired spirit of Judaism.

08/02/2023 13:40

The storm in Israel is growing, and so are its reverberations and international consequences.

“Who is a Jew” is Back!

02/12/2022 00:10

In recent days, there have been reports in the media from the coalition negotiation rooms that the Likud has accepted the demand of the ultra-Orthodox parties to change the law in a way that will prevent those who converted in Israel outside the Chief Rabbinate from receiving recognition as Jews, even at the civil level. This is not only a change to a long-standing ruling recognizing Reform and Conservative conversions in Israel, but also a step that is directed against Modern Orthodox conversions from the past few years, which are aimed at facilitating conversions of immigrants from the former Soviet Union.

Utah Weddings - Potential Breakthrough

01/08/2022 22:52

In a precedent-setting decision, the Lod District Court ruled earlier this month that civil marriages performed via Zoom under foreign auspices for couples in Israel will be inscribed in Israel’s Population Registry.

The Women of the Wall want to destroy the Holy of Holies?! Really?!

14/07/2022 21:07

Likud MK Miri Regev's campaign clip illustrates the willingness to embrace ultra-Orthodox doctrines which conflict with the foundations of Western democracy, and which are contrary to the will of the majority of the public who seek to advance freedom of religion and conscience in Israel.

Hiddush supports Initiative to cut support for school networks

02/06/2022 20:08

You cannot have your cake and eat it, too: to claim on the one hand that the ultra-Orthodox educational networks are fulfilling their commitment to teach 100% of the core studies, and on the other hand to refuse participation in external objective examinations.

What has not changed in the last year from previous years?

14/04/2022 22:57

How much has changed (or not changed) since last year in the arena of religion & state in Israel?

Agunot – A Sharp Indictment of Israel’s Rabbinic Courts

31/03/2022 21:46

“This should have been the mission of the halakhic decisors: to make sure no woman finds herself for even one day or one night without a divorce!”

Extremism and outright deceit

11/11/2021 21:44

A picture is worth a thousand words. This photo, which was posted by the Women of the Wall, show the Chairwoman of WOW Anat Hoffman and its former director Lesley Sachs sitting on the ground and protecting the Torah scroll, which they intended on bringing into the women’s section of the Kotel so that their fellow worshippers could read from the Torah during this Rosh Chodesh service, which they have been holding, without fail, for over thirty years.

High Time to Both Say the Truth and Act on it!

29/10/2021 01:24

Following Hiddush's last newsletter article on Haredi vitriol, we published an op-ed in the Times of Israel on the topic of limiting the ultra-Orthodox parties’ political sway, as Prime Minister Bennett put it. We realize that some of our readers may feel uncomfortable about such an appeal, but we urge you to look at the facts as they are, rather than the raging Haredi political rhetoric.

“Reform” as a generic invective

01/10/2021 00:45

On the eve of Sukkot, the cover of the Shas party’s newspaper “HaDerekh” featured an interview with the party leader, Rabbi Aryeh Deri as the lead article. The first item, in order and in importance, they chose to highlight was the delegitimization of the "Reformers" (i.e. Reform Jews).

The Ultra-Orthodox Reform Paranoia

15/07/2021 22:54

In recent months, the phenomenon of ultra-Orthodox attacks against Reform Judaism has escalated, especially due to the participation of Rabbi Gilad Kariv (the foremost Israeli Reform leader) in the new ruling coalition.

59% of Israeli public opposes ultra-Orthodox parties in coalition

01/06/2021 21:59

Against the background of the “change government” that is taking shape and news regarding Bennet and Lapid hoping to add the ultra-Orthodox to their coalition, the question as to whether the ultra-Orthodox parties should be included in the coalition arises again.