anti-Traditional Judaism. Just look at the remnants of Conservative Judaism in Germany, in the U.S., etc. with all the intermarriages and you'll come to the same conclusion. The ONLY "Jewish Tradition" is Orthodox Judaism which flourishes and will continue to flourish forever and ever.

You assert every jew has to follow an orthodox tradition. Who are you to decide that? Do you also think we should all be forced to wear tzitzis and lay teffilin?? If i want to get married in an Elvis chapel, you or anyone else has absolutely no right to tell me its wrong. Besides, most of the traditions that you claim we should follow, were not even mentioned in the Torah. Chuppah translated means to cover with garlands and there is no biblical reason for its use other than a reminder of the days when we lived in tents. Theres not even any mention of Abraham or Jacob having a Chuppah! Traditions are fine but you or others have no right to enforce them on everyone in Israel. We already have 613 laws and theres no need for more When others try and force traditions to dictate society, we will end up with draconic laws, just like the Muslims.

You destroy the Judaism!

Will they be allowing weddings between people who are halakhicaly unable to marry such as a Cohen and a divorcee?

The real question is: Does the Interior Ministry of Israel accept this as a proper mariage? Or, one has to go to rabinate, register, and then invite a conservative rabbi for a ceremony. this doesn't change anything.

If those peope in black and white want to lead the amish life style get on with it but dont expect others to follow suit. It is also about time for civil marriage ceremonies sepearte religion and state now!

Even if a Jew is not religious enough ,he/she should have only Ortodox parameters to follow. When we start inventing, Judaism goes to the bin and along with it antisemitism comes to fulfill the void. Of course,many things should be fixed among ortodoxes(people),but ordodoxy is the most and only trustfull Judaism,and should be the only one to be followed for any embasement.

Those like him desire to adapt Judaism to goyim and not the opposite. Those like him are looking forward to create a new type of christianism,or a new religion if one prefers,a religion that will end up persecuting the Jews themselves.

who's referring to these weddings as "traditional with a twist". Whatever it is, it's not traditional. If anything, it's anti-traditional Judaism. I personally am not enforcing anything on anyone. It's the Torah that's enforcing its laws on all Jews whether you like it or not. Talmud, which is the oral part of the Torah can provide you with some answers to your questions or you can get help at Aish Hatorah or from Orthodox Rabbis.

It's about time. The Orthodox monopoly in this country is choking the life out of Judaism like a parasite. It's turning a religion of freedom and light into a primitive, medieval cult.

The only reason Orthodox Judaism is flourishing in Israel is that Ben Gurion agreed to excuse about 300 people from the army and over time they were also receiving generous welfare. Adding something to the wedding is not anti-tradition as you suggest. Nothing in the Torah says that there's a maximum of what's allowed in the wedding ceremony. The laws only mention the minimum - the phrasing and two Jewish witnesses...

It is how thousands of Jewish couples in the U.S. get married. I believe that all that is necessary for a wedding to be kosher is to have two kosher witnesses and a ketuba. The Rabbinate had better start realizing that more and more couples are looking for alternatives.

If Orthodox Jews don't like what the Conservatives are doing, then they should respond by making the wedding experience a positive one for ALL Jews in Israel, not just their own (and in many cases it's a miserable experience even for Ortho couples). The talkbackers here simply don't care about the thousands of couples who flee to Cyprus every year to get married - rather than be subjected to the stupidity, hatred and ignorant bureaucracy of the rabbanut here in Israel. Even the ultra-orthodox who have a monopoly on the system are so stilted they themselves forget what halacha says about getting married. No, you don't need a rabbi. No, you don't need the rabbanut. No, you don't need an intrusive investigation into your past. No, you don't need to skip work or university for family purity classes. No, your friends don't need to skip work or university to testify in a bet din that you're a Jew. You need two witnesses, a willing couple, and a nice item of value (the wedding ring or a herd of goats) and to say the magic phrase "Harei at mekudeshet li...". The experience with the Orthodox world for most secular or traditionally minded Israelis is simply so bad that the reputation precedes itself, and couples don't want to get married here. If the orthodox talkbackers here are so concerned, then let them go out and change the system so that getting married in Israel is a positive experience for everybody.

Go back to where they came from and continue to destroy the Jewish people there. There is still plenty of chance for inter-marriage desguised as "modern-traditional" comversions for convienience and to help clear the minds of those who don't "really" want to intermarry, dis-information on Jewish history theory and practice. Until they have completed the job in the US why bother to open a new front.

The traditional Orthodox ceremony is beautiful, full of promise and commitment. Many non-religious Jews choose to marry the Orthodox way to start off their married life correctly - why do we need to cut corners!

I respect the efforts to maintain old traditions in marriage. I wish that all new couples would desire to keep G-d and the community in their relationships. However, marriage is essentially a matter for families to govern. A ketubbah ought to be between a man, his bride, and their families. They ought to consult their rabbi and keep him involved, but he should have no real authority in the matter. Who marries whom and with what kind of ceremony should be solely up to the intended and their immediate families.

to convert to Christinaity than be part of a Judaism that is Orthodox or nothing

drive to synagogue on yom kippur. A sham, a scam, a trick and a trap - typical of everything American. I speak as a not so obervant Israeli Jew - but at least I don't pretend to be a rabbi.

At least the ceremonies will have no Jewish significance. Conservative Marriages are inevitably halachically invalid So no problem of annuling the marriage. It simply never happened.

this ceremony means nothing. not legal, not binding, not valid What a waste of time and money

Mr hass is a disgrace to the legal professional. His licence ought to be withdrawn. he is promoting a fraud. then again perhaps that is his Job?

Every single Orthodox person who objects to this need not be affected by it. They do research anyway to make sure anyone they would marry meets their standards, and would not marry those who want this service anyway. BUT, people who are clamoring to get away from the Rabbinate would have this option. The Rabbinate will never reform from the inside, only competition will do it. If we had waited for the Rabbinate, we wouldn't even have a State, let's get this passed!

I am a Conservative Jew. I converted after rejecting Christianity. I will be moving to Israel in a couple of years and marrying my Israeli girlfriend (I met her in the process of converting). I, however, doubt that I will ever pursue an Orthodox conversion- especially after the fact that the Israeli Rabbanut, for all intensive purposes, refuses to recognize non-Chareidi conversions as being valid. I, therefore, and many other converts in my shoes, know that marriage in Israel is not an option. I value Sephardi tradition and will be marrying into a Sephardi family and have absolutely no desire to lead the Chareidi lifestyle now demanded of converts, nor subject my fiancee to a lifestyle defined by those who mock Jewish tradition and common sense by dressing like Polish peasants. I would gladly pursue an Orthodox conversion, I just don't think it's worth my time if the Chareidi Rabbanut will annul it 5, 10, or 20 years down the road. Nevertheless, until this Rabbanut pulls itself together, non-Orthodox marriages conducted in Israel need to be recognized as being legally binding. That's my two Agorot's worth.

You should recheck the laws about marriage & weddings before telling that this weddings are not legal or not recognized. State of Israel and it's ortodox rabbanute recognize weddings performed not by ortodoxes; for example all this jews from russia that even had no jewish weddings are still considered married. Do you think ortodox will perform a new wedding for somebody who is already married to another person by reform? The thing is about ortodoxes having monopoly for performing weddings in Israel that recognized by the state. Dunno what religion you follow here...

Once properly performed, a conversion cannot be annulled, even if the convert does not maintain an Halachic lifestyle thereafter. He is merely considered a "Yisroel Avariyan", a wayward Jew. The only issue is whether the convert was properly converted in accordance with the Halacha. The key issues are to determine if the converting "court" was a Kosher one and if, at the time of conversion, the convert sincerely wanted to accept upon himself the observing of the Commandments. Problems arise if the convert was "converted" by a problematic "court" and/or if the convert converted for any other reason than "for the sake of Heaven." So I understand the issue. But you should really check with an Orthodox rabbi for details. By the way, Jews are commanded to love the convert.

Years ago, I saw the truth in the movement and moved on. The whole "reformed" and "conservative" movement is just playing multiple choice with G-d's covenants and decrees with his Chosen people. It is just sick to me as a Jew that some actually think they are legitimate. -A "Conservadox", scratch that...A Jew attaining to follow more mitzvot for each day G-d grants me on this Earth. JP US Army Taji, Iraq

Reuven, thanks for your words of encouragement. Nevertheless, the current conversion courts have been in the habit of not only annulling the conversions of "Yisraelim Avariyanim" (forgive me if my Hebrew's off), but annulling other conversions performed by the rabbi who presided over the conversion of the "Yisrael Avariyan". Even if I have a conversion kosher to Orthodox interpretation of Halakha, my conversion could be annulled at any point in the future because a new conversion court doesn't think my conversion met their Chareidi standard. If I convert Orthodox or don't convert Orthodox, it doesn't really matter because my conversion will at one point in the future be annulled by a conversion court who doesn't view it as being properly performed.

become part of the Jewish People. Blaming and attacking Jews,being them Charedim or whoever,is not a good beggining for you at all.

Hi look I live in Jerusalem and encounter converts every so often, most of which did not convert at a Hareidi beis din, all of them went trough an Orthodox convertion though. Hareidim are part of the orthodox word, but there are many other Orthodox options out there for you to know about. These other orthodox convertions are, needless to say, recognized by the Rabbanut. As Reuven B. said correctly you should check the reasons for you wanting to convert to Judaism have a nice day