According to Haaretz reporter Amiram Barkat, the story was straightforward: "In an unusual ruling and after the intervention of the Prime Minister's Bureau, the Chief Rabbinical Court in Jerusalem recently allowed a Cohen [a Jew of priestly descent - ed.] to marry an immigrant from the former Soviet Union who converted to Judaism."
In fact, however, the Chief Rabbinate says that the woman is not a convert - who would be forbidden to marry a Cohen - but rather a full-fledged Jewess whose father is not Jewish. The Halakhah [Jewish law] in such a case is more complex, allowing her to marry a Cohen under extenuating circumstances, such as existed in the case in question.
"We plan to contact Haaretz and demand a correction to this story," Rabbinate spokesman Shami Parver told Arutz-7, in response to its query on the topic. "The woman is not a convert, and there are many Jewish legal rulings that permit such a union in cases such as this, where the couple already has children together. To present the story as if it was a Cohen and a divorcee will mislead many people in similar situations."
Haaretz also reported that a civil marriage activist named Alex Tantzer asked Prime Minister Sharon to intervene in the case, as the groom in question fought and was wounded in Sinai in the Yom Kippur War. Tantzer said he was informed that Sharon's office had in fact contacted the Chief Rabbinate on the matter. Parver, however, told Arutz-7 that if a Sharon representative contacted the Rabbinate, "it had no effect on the ruling, which was solely a Halakhic matter."
Tantzer told Haaretz that he hopes the decision allowing the couple to marry "will serve as a precedent for many other couples to marry in Israel." Spokesman Parver said that this is precisely the mistaken conclusion that might be reached from the Haaretz article, as the case in question is a unique one.
Haaretz later amended the story and reported that the woman's mother was Jewish.
In fact, however, the Chief Rabbinate says that the woman is not a convert - who would be forbidden to marry a Cohen - but rather a full-fledged Jewess whose father is not Jewish. The Halakhah [Jewish law] in such a case is more complex, allowing her to marry a Cohen under extenuating circumstances, such as existed in the case in question.
"We plan to contact Haaretz and demand a correction to this story," Rabbinate spokesman Shami Parver told Arutz-7, in response to its query on the topic. "The woman is not a convert, and there are many Jewish legal rulings that permit such a union in cases such as this, where the couple already has children together. To present the story as if it was a Cohen and a divorcee will mislead many people in similar situations."
Haaretz also reported that a civil marriage activist named Alex Tantzer asked Prime Minister Sharon to intervene in the case, as the groom in question fought and was wounded in Sinai in the Yom Kippur War. Tantzer said he was informed that Sharon's office had in fact contacted the Chief Rabbinate on the matter. Parver, however, told Arutz-7 that if a Sharon representative contacted the Rabbinate, "it had no effect on the ruling, which was solely a Halakhic matter."
Tantzer told Haaretz that he hopes the decision allowing the couple to marry "will serve as a precedent for many other couples to marry in Israel." Spokesman Parver said that this is precisely the mistaken conclusion that might be reached from the Haaretz article, as the case in question is a unique one.
Haaretz later amended the story and reported that the woman's mother was Jewish.