Democracy & Rights

Democracy & Rights

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Is the Orthodox Halacha in the USA different than it is in Israel?

Is the Orthodox Halacha in the USA different than it is in Israel?

07/06/2023 12:03

The Halacha is the Halacha is the Halacha!

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The Court conversion ruling and the elections

The Court conversion ruling and the elections

18/03/2021 04:40

Non-Orthodox conversion and the Supreme Court are playing a key role in these elections, especially in the election propaganda of the ultra-Orthodox parties.

Hiddush files petition against Minister Aryeh Deri

Hiddush files petition against Minister Aryeh Deri

17/03/2021 05:07

An administrative petition was filed at the Jerusalem District Court this week against the Interior Minister, the Population Authority, and the Attorney General, who refuse to register some 150 Israeli couples who have been legally married via web conferencing in Utah County, Utah, USA. The petition was filed by Hiddush – For Religious Freedom & Equality, 9 of the couples married online via Utah County, and 2 Utah rabbis, Samuel Spector and Dr. David Levinsky.

What they said about the landmark Court ruling

What they said about the landmark Court ruling

Uri Regev 05/03/2021 01:06

The Supreme Court was kind to Israel in issuing its ruling this week on the matter of the eligibility under the Law of Return for Reform and Conservative Conversions performed in Israel. Opponents of recognizing non-Orthodox converts rushed to condemn the Court and criticize it for not waiting another few weeks or months, after having waited 15 years, until after the next Knesset elections. However, the truth is that the ruling is of great importance in helping the public decide whom to vote for and what direction it wants the State of Israel to grow. It wasn’t the the verdict itself, which is important, but rather the violent [verbal] reactions , not yet physical] that erupted from the very moment it was published and the political demarcations that divide the responding camps.

The friend of my enemy is my enemy

The friend of my enemy is my enemy

04/03/2021 18:04

Most people are familiar with the expression “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” – it dates back to the 4th century BCE, and one compelling example of its relevance is the case of the USSR partnering with the Western European nations and United States to defeat the Nazis. A more recent compelling example is the increasing closeness of the Gulf States to Israel, as Iran, a common enemy, threatens them both.

A glimpse through the eyes of the English media

A glimpse through the eyes of the English media

Uri Regev 19/02/2021 01:42

There is not a day that the media in Israel does not deal with the meeting points Between the ultra-Orthodox and the secular, as well as between religion and politics in the context of the pandemic.

What's at the heart of the current election campaign?

What's at the heart of the current election campaign?

18/02/2021 00:06

All the relevant political players understand that issues of religion and state are at the heart of the election battle and will be key elements in the negotiations that will be undertaken following the elections.

Legal fronts against religious discrimination

Legal fronts against religious discrimination

05/02/2021 00:46

Hiddush has been active on several legal fronts against religious discrimination in the IDF, including the battle against exempting yeshivas students from conscription along with the rest of their Israeli peers.

Legal Groups Protest Israel's Interior Minister

Legal Groups Protest Israel's Interior Minister

Uri Regev 21/01/2021 23:44

J-PLAN, the Jewish Pluralism Legal Action Network, a network of Jewish lawyers in North America, working in partnership with Hiddush – Freedom of Religion for Israel, and the American Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists [AAJLJ] sent a letter on January 18, 2021,to Israel’s Interior Minister, Attorney General, and other officials, to protest the Ministry of the Interior’s recent decision to suspend registration of civil marriages of Israeli citizens lawfully married under the laws of "Utah County in the State of Utah.

Update on COVID-19 and religion

Update on COVID-19 and religion

Uri Regev 07/01/2021 20:00

There is almost no news broadcast on radio or television these days on the COVID-19 pandemic that does not mention the ultra-Orthodox issue.

This is not the democracy we aspire to

This is not the democracy we aspire to

Uri Regev 07/01/2021 18:18

The thoughts of many of our readers, especially in the United States, are on yesterday's events in Washington, DC. It’s hard to believe that those events occurred, and they will make their mark on American society and politics for a long time to come.

Hiddush on the cutting edge of Marriage Freedom

Hiddush on the cutting edge of Marriage Freedom

07/01/2021 12:00

Hiddush - for Freedom of Religion and Equality has warned Minister Deri that if he does not cancel his suspension of legal marriage registrations held through video conferencing under Utah state law, Hiddush will be forced to petition the Supreme Court.

Secular Israelis prefer Arabs over Haredi Jews

Secular Israelis prefer Arabs over Haredi Jews

24/12/2020 22:45

Data from a new survey published in the media show that while only about half of secular Israelis (53%), were willing to live next door to ultra-Orthodox Israelis, 69% of them are willing to live next to Arabs!

Taking the battle into 2021

Taking the battle into 2021

Uri Regev 24/12/2020 19:39

Your support for Hiddush’s work is especially important to enable us to maximize the exposure of the battle for freedom of religion and equality of civic burden and to emphasize their implications for the future of the state and the Jewish people.

Hiddush’s effective advocacy from an ultra-Orthodox perspective

Hiddush’s effective advocacy from an ultra-Orthodox perspective

Uri Regev 24/12/2020 17:20

On Dec. 13th, 2020, the following news appeared in an ultra-Orthodox news portal, describing their perspective on Hiddush’s success in overcoming decades of Orthodox control over military burials in Israel, which historically excluded secular and non-Orthodox alternatives for families of fallen soldiers:

Legal advocacy – not for sprint runners!

Legal advocacy – not for sprint runners!

Uri Regev 10/12/2020 17:54

In the last two weeks, there have been some important developments in Hiddush’s legal arena, and they remind us that this legal battle is not intended for short distance runners. It takes a great deal of time and perseverance.

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