WHO CAN GET MARRIED IN ISRAEL?
Let’s start with the basics. The Rabbinute is the rabbinical authority for Judaism in Israel, and oversees and manages many important institutions in the country.
Rabbinical Courts, Jewish marriage, Jewish divorce, Kosher laws and Kosher certification, Mikvehs, burials, Yeshivas, and conversion to Judaism are all under the authority of the Rabbinute.
Jews wishing to get married in Israel must go through the Rabbinute, which has local offices in every municipality in the country.
The Rabbinute will marry:
• A Jewish man and Jewish woman, both of whom must be single (or have proof that they are divorced or widowed.)
The Rabbinute will not marry:
• Same sex couples
• A Jew and a non-Jew
• People with “questionable” Jewish status
• A Cohen and a divorcee
• A Cohen and a convert
• Someone considered to be a “mamzer”
If you won’t be getting married through the Rabbinute, click here for alternatives.
HOW DO I GET MARRIED THROUGH THE RABBINUTE?
If you’re a tourist and want to get married through the Rabbinute, contact ITIM for assistance.
For Israeli citizens:
Before we jump in, I want to refer readers to an organization within Israel that helps navigate Rabbinute bureaucracy. Many of my friends (including native-born Israelis) have used Tzohar and Itim to help guide them through the process.
These organizations are inclusive and focused especially on helping those who are less religiously observant understand the Orthodox route you will encounter in the Rabbinute.
STEP 1
At least 45 days (I advise as early as possible) before your wedding day, you and your beloved should visit your local Rabbinute office to open a marriage file (Tik Nissuin). A list of offices can be found here.
You should bring the following with you:
• 700 shekel registration fee
• Teudat Zehut (ID cards) of the bride and groom
• 3 passport photos of the bride and groom
• The Ketubah (marriage certificates) of both the bride and the groom’s parents
• Copy of the Kosher Certificate for the venue where the wedding will be held.
If one or both of you are new immigrants, the Rabbinute may also request:
• Birth certificates
• Letter confirming that you are Jewish from a Rabbinute-recognized rabbi. If you are a convert, it’s critical to bring your original conversion papers along with a letter from your rabbi (if you converted abroad.)
If you choose to register at a Rabbinute office not in the municipality where you live, you must bring a Certificate of Bachelorhood (Teudat Ravakut) which confirms that you’re not already married.
You can get this by going to your local Rabbinute office with your Teudat Zehut, passport photos, parents’ ketubah and 2 witnesses that will confirm your unmarried status.
You should leave this initial meeting with:
• A rabbi to officiate the ceremony
• A Ketubah (to be filled out at the wedding)
• A marriage file number
STEP 2
Women must go to a class on the topic of Jewish laws, as related to family purity. These classes are available via Rabbinute-approved private tutors, non-profit organizations, and through Rabbinute-organized group classes.
They will issue you a certificate or proof of attendance, which you will take with you to the Mikveh in the days before the wedding.
For more on the Mikveh, please see here.
STEP 3
Within three days of the wedding, either you or the rabbi who performed the ceremony must bring the signed Ketubah to the Rabbinute office. Two weeks after that, you should be able to pick up your marriage certificate.
Once you have your marriage certificate, you can either update your marital status by mail or by visiting Misrad Hapnim in person (I recommend making an appointment online for the visit). For more on how to register your marriage in Israel, please see here.
Mazel tov!!!!!!!!!! You’re officially married in Israel.
The Israeli Wedding 