The Religious Council in Ashdod is refusing to recognize documentation attesting to the unmarried status of Ethiopian Jews issued by anyone other than Rabbi Yosef Hadana in Tel Aviv, who is regarded by the council as the "chief rabbi of Ethiopian Jews."

The certificates is required of immigrants wishing to marry in Israel. Its purpose is to prove to the council that the individual is in fact Jewish and that they had not married in the country of their origin.

The council's stance is in violation of the December 2005 National Authority of Religious Services ruling that all religious councils must allow any Jewish Ethiopian couple wishing to marry to go through the proper Jewish marriage procedure anywhere in the country. This ruling was to prevent the restriction of Ethiopians to a rabbi operating only out of Tel Aviv.

	Advertisement

The Knesset Immigration and Absorption Committee recently backed the Ethiopian community's desire to have unlimited access to religious councils across the country.

Ephraim Azaza of Ashdod and Tamar Almo of Gadera applied to marry through the religious council in Ashdod. Their wedding was scheduled for Thursday but because the Ashdod council is refusing to accept Almo's certificate of single status, signed by Gadera's chief rabbi, they cannot get married.

According to Azaza, the Ashdod council informed the couple that the certificate must by signed by Rabbi Hadana in order to be valid.

"I risked my life for this country in Lebanon two months ago," Azaza said, "and I never imagined I would reach this level of distress. Instead of attending a happy and joyous party, I am forced to hang my head in shame at my country."

The national spokeswoman for religious services said in response that the Chief Rabbinical Council had in September appointed four rabbis to serve the Ethiopian community's marriage needs in four additional cities: Hadera, Afula, Netanya and Be'er Sheva.

"Rabbi Zion Zuberi, who signed the certificate attesting to the fact that the bride is Jewish and her unmarried status, is not on the list of approved rabbis," the spokeswoman said in a statement.

"Rabbi Hadana explained to the groom from the beginning that all the paperwork must go through him, but the couple decided to go about things differently. Under the circumstances, we have asked Rabbi Hadana if there is anything that can be done to allow the couple to marry as planned."