this is pure politics. rabinically approved marriages are no more capable of being divorce free than civil performed marriages. it's about time that israel let go of the idea that rabbis are essential to judaism. it's also time that israel let go of the medieval religious social controls exerted by the rabbinate (who are not unanimous on many social issues).

Nothing like some apparently well-meaning rabbis to make it look like they're trying to help, huh? The bottom line is that the religious establishment is so blinded by their own bureaucracy that they don't see how anti-Jewish they are. Why have an orthodox wedding when the rabbis and religious councils are servicing themselves and not the couples getting married? Take two guys - one a secular student at university, or recent grad working for a living, who does miluim in a combat unit. The other guy is a yeshiva bocher who did no military service. The two show up at the religious council office to open their file and start the bureaucratic process the rabbis claim you need to get married in Israel (although we all know that all you need is a willing couple, a ring, and two witnesses). First, you have to pay something like 540 shekels to open the file. But the yeshiva guy might be eligible for a discount, no? And then the witnesses that you're Jewish. The secular guy has to find a couple of people who know him who can take off work and go to the office to testify. Heaven forbid that one night a week the religious council office was open so that people don't have to leave work. Then, hey, family purity classes... WHAT?!?! says the secular guy? Oh, the yeshiva guy doesn't need, cuz he's a yeshiva guy. So, says the secular guy - what night can I do the classes, or how about friday mornings? Nope, says the religious council clerk, not available. But I'll have to take off work or cut classes! says the secular guy. Too bad, says the clerk, no choice. Forget it, says the secular guy, we'll go to Cyprus for the weekend - I don't need this crap. If Rav Amar wants to make some real change and bring people CLOSER to Judaism, the changes are easy, cheap, and effective. All you have to do is pretend that you like your fellow Jews and want to really do something for them. Make it 18 shekels to open a file. Open the offices one or two nights a week so that everybody can make it. And hey, Friday mornings won't kill anybody either or make anybody violate Shabbat. What it will do is show secular Jews that the religious establishment wants them to get married here, not in Cyprus.

wants to keep getting paid for every Jewish marriage in the country. I'm againt Jews marrying goim, but it's not a religious issue. Moses married a non-Jew.

try to avoid opinions on religion, you seem to know litttle, no ofence. Moshe's wife converted toether w family before marriage

B"H I am not understanding why it would not be desireable to register couples Jewish and non-Jewish who want a public relationship. My main concern is that of adultury, where someone thinks he is dating someone single and finds out that she or he is really married! Would it not make sense to register as many of these relationships as possible to avoid adultury? I guess the main question is legitimacy of those relationships. But is it not important to protect others from unknowingly getting inbetween an active marriage? Yes there is a slippery slope of Jew to Jew marriage not being authorized by the Rabbinate. However, there is also the slippery slope of interfering with marriages that are not registered which I think is also not desirable. I guess that is why there are Jewish sages to figure out these difficult answers.

B"H I am not sure it as simple as stated that Moses married a non-Jew and therefore it is fine for others to do so also inside Israel. After all, it was Moses who set down in the Torah the concept of G-d's marriage group. Whether Tzipora was Jewish or not at the time of the Bris is somewhat a matter for debate, therefore. I am inclined to think that she was actually a convert to Judiasm. I think his children were raised as Jews not by his wife but rather by Aaron as I understand it. This would be an excellent question to consult a local Rabbi on. There may be a difference between the diaspora and the circumstance inside Israel on this issue. Moses actually never set foot inside Israel either, so his may be a different case then what you are pointing to.

I am afraid you socially minded people don't have it right you see you think very Russian get rid of the rabbis break the moral of the human being and act like animals. Yes pee in the streets and get married to goim that is all it equals to. Our Jewish laws are not considered medieval they are jewish law from the giving of the Holy Torah till Massiah comes. Got that!!!!!

The real reason there is such antipathy toward religion on the part of many Israelis has nothing to do with "thinking Russian." It has to do with the coercion they endure in civil matters such as marriages and funerals. While you might prefer that it be so, thankfully Israel is NOT a theocracy, and preaching to the majority of Israelis about the coming of the Messiah is going to be an exercise in futility.

YOU JUST PROVED YOURSELF. YES ISRAEL REPRESENTJUDAISM AND YOU CAN NOT CHANGE THE HOLY TORAH SO YOU REALLY HAVE A PROBLEM UNDERSTANDING THE DEPTH OF JUDAISM AND STOP MOANING AND START LEARNING.

The thugs just feel that their ship is sinking. They have been largely irrelevant to Israeli society for a long time already, and now they officially are being dumped. Yummy.