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Chief Rabbi Yosef: Science, math are nonsense

01/07/2021 13:04

Every week we receive reminders that the Chief Rabbinate's institution poses a danger to the State of Israel. This time it is the Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, the son of the late Chief Rabbi and Shas leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.

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Chief Rabbi Yosef attacks Israel's civil courts

Uri Regev 22/02/2017 00:25

Last week at a national rabbinic conference, Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef declared that rabbis should warn the Israeli public that in the event of legal disputes, they should take their cases to the rabbinical courts, rather than to Israel's civil courts.

No legal prohibition against displaying Christmas trees!

Uri Regev 22/12/2016 12:59

Following a letter sent by the Jerusalem Rabbinate to the city's hotels, which claimed it inappropriate to display Christmas trees in hotels and inappropriate to permit New Year's parties, Hiddush promptly wrote to the Ministry of Religious Services.

The growing challenge to religious freedom and equality

Uri Regev 19/12/2016 11:45

The ultra-Orthodox parties, joined by a number of key members of other Coalition parties, to put an end to the prospects of greater opportunities for Women's and egalitarian worship practices at the Western Wall plaza.

Committee to determine criteria for recognizing Orthodox Diaspora rabbis

14/12/2016 19:47

The Council of the Chief Rabbinate and the rabbinical judges of the Supreme Rabbinical Court convened Wednesday and established a joint committee to draft criteria for recognizing the weddings, divorces and conversions of rabbis in the Diaspora.

2016 Religion & State Index: freedom of marriage

09/10/2016 15:45

A revolution: About half of the Jewish public would prefer not to get married via the monopolistic, state empowered Chief Rabbinate

Contradictory messages exuding from the State of Israel to Diaspora Jewry

Uri Regev 21/08/2016 16:50

This week, two reports were published in the media, which directly contradicted Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Education Naftali Bennett's words just last month: "The State of Israel belongs to all the Jews of the world.

74% of Israeli Jews would prefer egalitarian Jewish wedding ceremonies

18/08/2016 12:57

Israeli Jews are tired of having this anti-egalitarian, irrelevant ritual forced upon them. The public wants a modernized Jewish ceremony.

A Missed Opportunity to Support Secular Life in Israel

06/05/2016 13:44

The rabbinate sees itself as waging a culture war, and it has been winning. Since the state’s founding rabbinic power thwarts the development of a secular conception of citizenship. Hiddush polled Israeli Jews and found that 71% support the freedom to marry and divorce independent of the Orthodox rabbinate.

Minister Azoulay heeds his rabbis rather than his government

06/05/2016 12:20

It has almost become a painful routine to update our readers on the all too frequent outrageous statements made by Israel's ultra-orthodox cabinet members and MKs, which go against all commonly accepted norms of rule of law and democracy.

Jerusalem Chief Rabbi: Women of the Wall is 'satan incarnate'

21/04/2016 12:04

Having already described Israel's laws and civil courts as manifestations of Satan, Jerusalem Chief Rabbi Amar has now publicly described Women of the Wall as "Satan incarnate," claiming they should be hospitalized.

Landmark ruling to allow non-Orthodox converts access to all mikva’ot

Uri Regev 23/02/2016 11:01

A new front, far more vicious and perilous, has emerged. The Chief Rabbinate and ultra-Orthodox politicians are gearing up to prevent the implementation of this ruling to further undermine the Supreme Court and demonize the non-Orthodox movements.

71% of Israeli Jews: Rabbinate's monopoly distances Jews from Judaism

14/02/2016 16:54

Not only is the denial of the freedom to marry antithetical to core democratic principles, but it also undermines Jewish interests. 71% of the Israeli Jewish public maintain that the Chief Rabbinate's and the rabbinical courts' monopoly over marriage and divorce distances Jews from Judaism.

The Chief Rabbinate's anti-Christmas policy

Uri Regev 29/12/2015 13:10

The ban on placing Christmas trees in hotels is but one example of the many ways that the rabbinate disregards the law and extorts submission to its norms in breach of the law.

Israel's Rabbinate coerces and discriminates in hotels

21/12/2015 18:39

Despite officially and publicly updating its kashrut regulations for hotels this year, in order to be in compliance with the law, Israel's Rabbinate continues to coerce hotels to enforce Shabbat restrictions and its illegal ban against all Christian holiday symbols.

Chief Rabbi Lau's blatant anti-pluralism hypocrisy

Uri Regev 16/12/2015 21:37

Last week, Chief Rabbi of Israel David Lau publicly rebuked Naftali Bennett, Israel’s minister of education and Diaspora affairs. Bennett’s religious sin, per Lau, was visiting the Solomon Schechter School of Manhattan, and tweeting an enthusiastic reflection of the school and the love for Israel and Judaism that he had seen there.