Hemdat's  "Freedom of Choice 
in Marriage" Campaign

HEMDAT's  Board and its founding organizations including the Reform and Conservative Movements, The Movement for Secular Humanistic Judaism and Naamat -- the working women's organization have determined that their joint primary goal for the year 2001 will be activist promotion and advocacy for free choice in marriage and divorce. As a first phase in this major effort HEMDAT and SHATIL of the New Israel Fund have founded a new broad coalition "The Forum  for Free Choice in Marriage" composed of 20 key Israeli  organizations committed to civil rights, equality, social justice, freedom of religion, women's rights and the rights of new immigrants. These grass roots organizations representing some half a million Israelis have defined their goals as the vigorous promotion of freedom of choice for all Israelis in the selection of alternative forms of marriage and divorce including Civil, Reform, Conservative and Orthodox procedures. 

The formation of the new coalition is part of the multi-pronged and coordinated program in partnership between HEMDAT, the Masorti and Reform Movements and Shatil. HEMDAT serves as the coordinator and provides the organizational infrastructure for the Forum. A first major grant of $110,000 was received by HEMDAT from the  Religious Pluralism Fund of the New Israel Fund as seed money for this new initiative with the expectation that major additional funding will be raised from other sources.

The Forum has prepared a draft law enabling freedom of choice in marriage including civil marriage and religious marriage according to any one of the three major stream of Judaism -- Orthodox, Conservative and Reform. It has published pamphlets and educational materials on the problems associated with the present Orthodox monopoly on marriage and divorce, is carrying out a mass media educational campaign and will provide an on-going information service  and  hot line to provide interested couples with all of the alternative options to Orthodox marriage. The Forum has held a weekend educational conference with journalists of the influential Russian Language press and held and important meeting with a lobby of Knesset members who support the goals of the Forum.

One of the more challenging projects being actively worked on is the effort to organize offshore "Love Boat" weddings, outside the territorial waters  of Israel  in a civil ceremony carried out by the ship's captain. At this time civil marriage is not allowed within Israel. This could be combined with a shipboard Conservative or Reform wedding ceremony and family celebration. The legal and organizational details of this project are in the developmental stages at this time. 

The Freedom of Choice in Marriage initiative is an interim strategy aimed at gaining mass public support, working toward the eventual passage of the Basic Law for Freedom of Religion which will have the standing of a Constitutional Law and will allow the Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of any existing or future law which might run contrary to the principles of freedom of religion. 

The overall campaign included a high profile major joint media campaign by the Masorti (Conservative) and Reform Movements in Israel to promote liberal non-Orthodox alternative marriage ceremonies either with or without being tied into civil marriage ceremonies abroad. Rabbi Ehud Bandel, President of the Masorti Movement in Israel and HEMDAT Board Member, who  headed the joint Masorti/Reform campaign  stated the he is optimistic that more and more couples will choose Masorti and Reform religious marriage ceremonies, particularly since they are egalitarian and assure equal rights for women in marriage and divorce.  Reports from the Masorti and Reform Movement indicate that the campaign has resulted in an increase demand for Conservative and Reform wedding ceremonies in Israel. According to estimates made by Professor Shuval, Chair of HEMDAT, in the past 10 years, some 25% of Israel young couples avoid being married by the Israeli Orthodox Rabbinate and opt for civil marriage abroad, non-recognized Reform or Conservative marriage ceremonies, legal contractual agreements, and other formal and informal ways for couples to share family life without the need to become entangled with the draconian laws and rules of the Orthodox establishment which holds a monopoly on all matters of personal status in Israel.

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