COMMUNITY VIEWS

Farewell To Cyprus

with the Orthodox rabbinic bureau-
cracy, whose religious culture and
he other night, I went to a
technical requirements (involving laws
wedding in Jerusalem. The
of family purity) are alien to most
bride wore white, the groom
Jews
in this country.
a handsome embroidered
As such, great numbers of
kippa. Rings were exchanged
Israelis have chosen among a
under the chuppa, the seven
variety of alternatives: living
blessings chanted, the ketuba
together without marriage;
signed by witnesses and read
arranging overseas mail-order
aloud by the rabbi — an
proxy weddings in Paraguay
utterly traditional, egalitari-
and elsewhere; or getting mar-
an ceremony except for one
ried abroad.
thing: The rabbi wasn't a
The latest episode in this
rabbi, but rather a layman, a
absurd saga is a news item
close friend of the family.
from a few weeks back. In
Under Jewish law, you
STUART
effect, a former Arab member
don't need to be a rabbi to
SCHOFFMAN
of the Knesset and an Israeli
"perform" a wedding cere-
Special to
partner plan to establish a
mony, which is essentially
the Jewish News
civil-marriage facility in Jeri-
legal and contractual in
cho that caters to Israelis. In
nature. In the State of Israel,
other words, it's under the
however, only an Orthodox
aegis of the Palestinian Authority.
rabbi who is authorized by the Chief
There's already a casino in Jericho.
Rabbinate can perform a wedding
Why not add another profit center for
that is considered binding under
the fledgling Palestinian economy? I
Israeli law.
can already see the day when a
This means that a Conservative or
Reform rabbi (a woman)performs a
Reform rabbi who has completed
beautiful haimish wedding in the out-
many years of professional Torah edu-
skirts of Bethlehem (a five-minute
cation has the same official status here
drive from Jerusalem), legally certified
as the layman who -did the wedding I
by a Palestinian clerk. There will be
went to, which is to say, none.
Chasidic, Oriental and rock 'n' roll
But a strange thing is happening
music played by an Arab-Jewish band,
here. In 1973, when the Jewish popu-
and guests will dine on strictly kosher
lation was 2.8 million, there were
kebabs seasoned to perfection by a
26,000 Jewish marriages — Orthodox
marriages — registered by the state. In Palestinian chef. This would strike a
blow all at once for religious pluralism
1998, with a Jewish population of 4.8
and Arab-Israeli coexistence.
million, 29,700 Jewish marriages were
There's a final, crucial element at
listed with the state. This translates
work here: Russian aliya, which is up
into a drop in the Jewish marriage
sharply this year due to the former Sovi-
rate over the last quarter-century of
et Union's rising anti-Semitism and
more than one-third.
political and economic instability. As a
Remember, civil, non-religious
result, an ever-higher percentage of the
marriage in Israel — not for Jews or
new immigrants are eligible to come to
anyone else — does not exist. So the
Israel under the Law of Return (mean-
subversive young couple whose wed-
ing they have at least one Jewish grand-
ding I attended were legally married
parent), but the new arrivals are not
abroad, in nearby Cyprus by the
Jewish halachically (by Jewish law).
mayor of the city of Larnaca. That
Some 300,000 Russian immigrants are
official wore a handsome ceremonial
already considered in this category.
gold chain around his neck, uncorked
Given such demographic pressure,
a bottle of champagne and mentioned
the absence of civil marriage in Israel
to the newlyweds that he marries
is increasingly unjust as well as
about 40 Israeli couples every month.
impractical: Citizens have a basic right
Though the mayor's background in
to get married in their own country. A
Jewish studies (I'm just guessing) is
new coalition of respected public
quite weak, the weddings that he per-
organizations is readying itself to
forms in Larnaca — as well as civil
embark on a campaign to bring about
marriages in London, Las Vegas or
freedom of marriage in Israel. When
anyplace else — are valid to Israel's
this inevitably comes to pass, the
Interior Ministry (though not, of
Chief Rabbinate's monopoly will be
course, to the rabbinate).
broken at last. This can only strength-
The rate of Jewish marriage in
en the non-Orthodox movements in
Israel has fallen off so sharply not
Israel, affording many alienated, secu-
because people are turned off by mat-
rimony. Rather, they prefer not to deal lar Israelis a road back to tradition. Ill

Jerusalem

T

Tradition! Tradition!

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