CWJ empowers couples to make informed decisions about the way they choose to marry in Israel.

CWJ provides free premarital guidance to educate couples about the legal and halakhic ramifications of the various marriage options available in Israel. Our attorneys help couples:

• determine the type of prenuptial agreement that would best fit their needs;
• limit the involvement of the State rabbinic courts in the event of divorce;
• and minimize the risk of marital captivity under Jewish law.

What makes marriage law in Israel unique?

In Israel, there is no civil marriage or divorce. The only way to marry or divorce is by undergoing a religious ceremony under the auspices of state-operated religious institutions, in accordance with one’s legally-recognized religious status: State sharia courts for Muslims, state Christian courts for Christians, state Druze courts for Druze and the state rabbinic court for Jews. There are no provisions for practitioners of other religions, nor for couples of mixed faith, same-sex couples, or those who are legally classed as having “no religion.”

There are also no legal provisions for couples who want to hold religious ceremonies without the involvement of state religious authorities. 

 

Alternative ways to marry in Israel

People who are unable or unwilling to marry via Israel’s state religious establishment may choose alternative paths to marry. State recognition of these alternative forms of marriage varies, which is why it is important that couples understand their options.

For example, couples who undergo a civil ceremony abroad can have their foreign marriage licenses recognized by Israel’s Ministry of Interior, and be recognized as legally married under Israeli law.

Some couples in Israel hold private wedding ceremonies outside the purview of the state rabbinate, an increasingly popular phenomenon across the religious and secular spectrum. CWJ recommends that couples who wish to hold a halakhic wedding ceremony, without the involvement of the state rabbinate, marry via Chuppot, an independent rabbinic organization that CWJ is proud to call our partner.

Couples who marry in ceremonies that bypass the state rabbinate may choose to register as common-law couples (“yedui’m batzibbur”), pursue a civil marriage abroad and register it with the Ministry of Interior, or simply keep their legal status as “single.” 

Each of these forms of marriage carry legal considerations that affect both the civil and halakhic status of the couple.

 

What happens if a couple wishes to divorce?

The state requires that all Jewish heterosexual couples who are legally registered as married–including those who opted for civil ceremonies abroad–undergo a religious get ceremony in the state rabbinic courts in the event they wish to divorce.

Additionally, any couple who marries in a traditional Jewish ceremony, even if they did not marry via the state rabbinate, runs the risk of marital captivity. It is therefore important to take precautions and sign a halakhic prenuptial agreement.

 

How do I understand my options?

Book a free counseling session with CWJ to learn the most legally up-to-date, halakhically accurate information about marriage options in Israel.