Kesher Talk

French consulates reject Jewish marriage certificates: The French consulates in Jerusalem and Haifa are refusing to recognize Jewish wedding ceremonies, including those performed in pre-1967 Israel, if the presiding rabbi happens to be a resident of Judea, Samaria, or the Gaza Strip. A spokesperson for the consulate in Jerusalem confirmed the policy.

For example, Martine D., a Frenchwoman who converted to Judaism and married an Israeli in a ceremony in Jerusalem, approached the French Consulate to apply for a livret de famille, an official document which records the status and details of one's family members. Martine's request was turned down, she was told, because the rabbi who performed the ceremony lives in Gush Etzion.

Getting screwed by exceedinly strict views of 'who is a Jew' is all too common. Jews have to battle to maintain their standing as Jewish in the eyes of the ever-restrictive ultra-Orthodox in Israel. When my brother was getting married in France, he had to jump through dozens of hoops to prove to his rabbi's satisfaction that our parents were both suitably Jewish and so was their wedding ceremony.

But this is entirely different. The French are not disavowing the legitimacy of any and every wedding in the "Palestinian Authority" -- just Jewish ones. Is this a pro-Palestinian or anti-semitic policy?

Not that France is the most friendly of places for Jews. Parisian rabbi Gabriel Farhi was stabbed twice in the stomach late last Friday afternoon. He was only lightly wounded. On Monday, his car was set on fire outside his apartment. Not surprisingly, French Jews are nervous. Back in spring 2002, with anti-semitic violence flaring nearly every day, many French Jews, including members of my brother's family-in-law, were talking about leaving for Israel (2,326 French Jews actually made Aliyah in 2002). My brother predicted that the attacks would subside, and the Jewish population there would forget about the problems -- until the next time. I don't think he was expecting the next time to come quite so soon...

posted by Howard @ 1/07/2003 10:05:37 AM