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Half of the Israeli Jewish Public Prefer to Marry in a non-Orthodox Marriage Ceremony

Half of the Israeli Jewish Public Prefer to Marry in a non-Orthodox Marriage Ceremony

A survey by the Smith Institute for Hiddush ahead of the 15th of Av: two-thirds of the Jewish public in Israel support legislation that would abolish the Orthodox monopoly on marriage and allow freedom of marriage in Israel. This includes 68% of Likud voters and 41% of the voters of Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit parties. If they had a choice - only 15% of the secular public would marry in an Orthodox marriage


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Shas CEO cannot simultaneously be CEO of state-funded educational network

Shas CEO cannot simultaneously be CEO of state-funded educational network

Responding to Hiddush’s demand – Israel’s Attorney General instructs Shas that the party’s CEO, Haim Biton, cannot simultaneously direct the State-funded vast educational network it founded

Let Marriage Freedom Ring!

Let Marriage Freedom Ring!

Today, Hiddush began a new campaign to allow marriage freedom in Israel. This is a collaboration between Hiddush and the School of the Arts in Musrara, Jerusalem.

Civil Burial in Israel – If You Will It, It Is No Dream

Civil Burial in Israel – If You Will It, It Is No Dream

In a petition heard in the Supreme Court last week, Hiddush - For Religious Freedom and Equality demanded that the Ministry of Religious Services and the Israel Lands Authority allow an immediately available option for civil burial to the public, in agricultural localities (kibbutzim and moshavim), at least temporarily, until a full and permanent solution is provided.

Excluding non-Orthodox and non-Jewish from municipality website is illegal!

Excluding non-Orthodox and non-Jewish from municipality website is illegal!

Hiddush – For Religious Freedom and Equality submitted a petition to court, challenging the Jerusalem Municipality’s illegal exclusion of those synagogues that represent Reform, Conservative, egalitarian Orthodox, and other independent Jewish communities, as well as non-Jewish religious institutions (primarily Muslim and Christian) from the “Religion and Tradition” section of the municipal website, which only includes information about Orthodox synagogues and institutions.

Vision Statement: Israel as a Jewish democratic state

Vision Statement: Israel as a Jewish democratic state

The following statement is issued by a diverse group of Jews in Israel and the Diaspora*, all of whom greatly admire and appreciate the tremendous achievements of the State of Israel. We, who are committed to Israel’s growing strength and vitality, as well as its bonds with world Jewry, hold that Israel's unfulfilled promise of complete freedom of religion and conscience can no longer be left to politics alone.

Political parties’ commitment to religious freedom will help at polls

Political parties’ commitment to religious freedom will help at polls

The formula for success in Israel’s March ’20 elections: Declare your party’s commitment to the fight for religious freedom & equality. 54% of the Israeli Jewish public responded that such a commitment by the parties running for election would increase the likelihood of their voting for those parties.

One of every Seven Jerusalem children attend unregistered schools!

One of every Seven Jerusalem children attend unregistered schools!

In violation of the law and ignoring both the Ministry of Education and the Jerusalem Municipality - more than 40,000 children in Jerusalem study in schools that operate without licenses! Hiddush and Jerusalem City Council Member Dr. Laura Wharton petitioned the Supreme Court, demanding that Israel’s law of compulsory education be enforced in the city.

Chief Rabbi Yosef calls immigrants to Israel non-Jewish communists

Chief Rabbi Yosef calls immigrants to Israel non-Jewish communists

Almost every news broadcast in recent days, whether on radio or television, has included a segment on the scandalous statements made by Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, denigrating the olim from the former Soviet Union, as well as the numerous public and political reactions to his vile, violent message.

Survey: recognition of non-Jewish family members under Law of Return

Survey: recognition of non-Jewish family members under Law of Return

62% of Israel’s adult Jewish public does not consider religious conversion through the Chief Rabbinate as a necessary condition for recognizing the Jewishness of immigrants who are the family members of Jews but whose mothers are not Jewish.

The number of non-Jewish family members making Aliyah

The number of non-Jewish family members making Aliyah

Hiddush's publication of Israel's immigration numbers of non-Jewish family members under the Law of Return, as provided by the Population and Immigration Authority [PIA] in response to our Freedom of Information demands, caused quite the media storm this week. This resulted in the Authority retracting from their own data, and changing it drastically.

6 out of 7 Israeli immigrants not recognized as Jews

6 out of 7 Israeli immigrants not recognized as Jews

6 out of 7 immigrants to Israel in recent years - are not considered Jews according to Halacha (Jewish religious law). These data come from the Population and Immigration Authority’s response to Hiddush’s Freedom of Information Act request.

Where are Israeli Jews now on Religion & State?

Where are Israeli Jews now on Religion & State?

The “Status Quo” is an affront to the will of the public: 63% want a civil unity government; 71% support public transportation on the Sabbath; 69% support establishing civil marriage and divorce in Israel

Drugging yeshiva students to curb sexuality

Drugging yeshiva students to curb sexuality

A scandalous and, in all likelihood, criminal relationship exists between key ultra-Orthodox circles on the one hand and a number of psychiatrists on the other.

Hiddush survey for International Human Rights Day

Hiddush survey for International Human Rights Day

The right to freedom of movement: 71% support public transportation on Saturday. The right to family: 69% support civil marriage in Israel. Most of the Jewish public in Israel supports the operation of public transportation on Saturdays and the establishment of civil marriage in Israel. This is not just politics. It’s about violations of basic human rights.

63% of Israeli public wants a civil unity government

63% of Israeli public wants a civil unity government

The public’s position remains stable and very, very clear: 63% of Israel’s adult Jewish public wants a civil unity government, which will promote religious freedom and equality, and which will not be dependent upon the religious parties, nor submit to their demands on issues of religion and state.

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