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From: jho@ihuxn.UUCP (Yosi Hoshen)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: Coercion or Democracy?
Message-ID: <991@ihuxn.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 12-Mar-85 13:25:39 EST
Article-I.D.: ihuxn.991
Posted: Tue Mar 12 13:25:39 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 13-Mar-85 01:19:39 EST
References: <146@pyuxww.UUCP> <979@ihuxn.UUCP> <515@sfmag.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 31

I received the following correspondence:

>On the subject of weddings
>in Israel--isn't it true that some people who feel as you did (and what about
>that ritual-bath business for women? Surely some women consider it a disgusting
>humiliation to be regard as unclean?) go off to some foreign country, usually
>Cyprus, but now perhaps Egypt, and get married there? Is there any problem
>in getting such a marriage recognized by civil or religious authorities at
>home? I'd appreciate a posting on this.

Contrary to popular beliefs, a certificate from a ritual-bath 'mikveh'
place is not a prerequisite for marriage in Israel.  The religionists 
are trying to convey the impression that if a woman does not go to the 
mikveh, the rabbi will not perform the marriage ceremony.  This is not the
case.  When my wife was told that she has to bathe in the mikveh, she
refused, and dared them not to marry us.  My wife did not go to the mikveh,
and no questions on mikveh-bathing were asked during the marriage ceremony.

The state of Israel recognizes civil marriage certificates issued by 
other countries.  The religious authorities in Israel do not recognize
civil marriages.  But as long as the state recognizes these marriages
then there is nothing to complain.  The fact that there is no civil
marriage in Israel, can complicate the lives of some Jews in Israel.
For example, if a Jewish guy has the name Cohen, Katz, or Rappaport,
he cannot marry a divorced women, because the religious law forbids it. 
In addition, a mamzer, for all practical purposes, cannot get married 
in Israel.
-- 

Yosi Hoshen, Bell Laboratories
Naperville, Illinois, (312)-979-7321, Mail: ihnp4!ihuxn!jho