ISRAEL: Unmarried Couples and the Law

Photo: Alisa Ruby 

B"H

Not every Jewish Israeli is religious and countless young unmarried secular couples like living together in order to try out whether the relationship works out. If yes, the couple may get married later on; if not, then the couple splits and the relationship is finished. No obligations and everyone will be free again. But is this really true ? 

A Canadian friend told me once that there is a law in Canada (at least in British Colombia) where partners of an unmarried relationship may claim inheritance in case one of the partners dies. Unbelievable, I thought and in Germany one must show a marriage certificate in order to inherit. 

Today I learnt that Canadian law seems to apply to Israel. Unmarried couples, no matter what age, living together in the same place and leading a marriage - like relationship, may find themselves in unconvenient positions. An unmarried couple living together for four or five months can already face obligations and court cases. 


For example:

Girlfriend and boyfriend living together, the boyfriend has to go to the army and is killed in action. In case the couple had live together for more than four or five months, the girlfriend may turn out as the main inheriter. Lets say the boyfriend owned the apartment, the girlfried is entitled to inherit the estate if the boyfriend didn't make a will or there is no further legal agreement. 

Problems also may occur in case the boyfriend / girlfriend throws his or her partner out of the house. Then the person thrown out may claim compensation for a certain time (three months or whatever the judge decides). 

The solution is that while you are deeply in love, not to loose your common sense. Before moving together, an unmarried couple should go to a lawyer and make an agreement in advance. Furthermore, if you have money or property, make a will. 

Another solution would be: Remain single and don't move in with anyone.:-)

Police and Tax Authorities storming Mea Shearim

B”H

This morning, hundreds of policemen were storming into the Mea Shearim neighbourhood (Jerusalem). Not only cops but also investigators from the local tax authorities. Apparently four people got arrested, among them Yoelish Kroisz, the head of one of the two Mea Shearim Neturei Karta branches. 

Throwing stones in Mea Shearim this morning.

According to the tax authorities, Mea Shearim inhabitants (including Yoelish Kroisz) have been running their own businesses for many years without paying any taxes or even having a permit from the municipality. It goes without saying that many people in Mea Shearim aren’t interested in asking the “Zionist” state for permission or paying taxes. On the other hand, everyone else in Israel has to pay taxes and why not Mea Shearim. 

Yoelish Kroisz getting arrested today. Business documents from his office and his home were confiscated.

Article + Photo: Kikar.net

Although haredi sites claim the brutal behaviour of the YASSAM police unit, Haredim were throwing stones and this cannot happen unpunished. Moreover, Mea Shearim is not the only neighbourhood being investigated by the tax authorities. Some months ago, police and tax authorities were storming the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv because half of the vendors don’t have a permission from the municipality either. 

See VIDEO and PHOTOS HERE !

The Israeli Police Unit YASSAM and the Nazi - SS

B”H

The below video has become famous throughout Israel and our media is reporting. The person who made this video is comparing the Israeli police unit YASSAM with the Nazi - SS. In the meantime, the Israeli police has started an investigation against the person uploading the video onto Youtube. The official version is that probably a member of the settler movement has produced and uploaded the clip.

Instead of starting an investigation against the settler beating Yassamniks, the police are running after the victims (settlers). 

Cactus fruits (Sabras) in Israel

Photos: Miriam Woelke

In Jerusalem

B"H

I am in Jerusalem at the moment taking care of the bureaucracy regarding my separation leave from the bakery. I am going a write a longer article about Israeli laws and what kind of rights do you have when you quit a job. However, one thing I can tell you for sure: Insurance agents are rip offs if not criminals.

Your rights as an Israeli Employee

B"H

Once you have made Aliyah and joined the Israeli workforce (as a citizen), you should be aware of your rights. I admit that, many times, I wasn't aware of my rights and when you ask your employer, you sometimes don't get any clear answer. Or he may throw at you all kinds of excuses he can get away with.

I am leaving my bakery job in Jerusalem at the end of this month, as I am moving to the northern part of the country, and now I have to deal with the "Pitzuim - Separation Payment" issue. 

Regarding all kinds of rights on the Israeli jobmarket, I found some interesting informative links I would like to share with you.

 First of all, here is a detailed list with your rights as an Israeli employee:

http://www.israemploy.net/Salary_Surveys/

The obligations of your employer:

http://www.btl.gov.il/English%20Homepage/Insurance/Employee/Pages/default.aspx

http://jobmob.co.il/blog/quit-israeli-job-severance-pay/

Additional information:

http://www.aliyahjobcenter.org/page.php?id=60

What says the law ?
The following link is in HEBREW !

http://www.ovdim.org.il/Page10917.asp

The Israeli Ministry of Labour:

http://www.tamas.gov.il/NR/exeres/B0B48981-357D-446F-AFAC-91A358E93C87.htm

Haredi Demonstrations against Supreme Court Verdict

The Beit Yaakov girls in the above picture have nothing to do with court case and I just took a picture of them at the Kotel (Western Wall). The day before yesterday, those Sephardi Beit Yaakov students went to pray at the Kotel. 

Photo: Miriam Woelke

B"H

Yoav Lalom, the Sephardi Haredi who took the Ashkenazi parents from the Israeli settlement Emmanuel to court, is not very popular these days. In fact, he received death threats but all this doesn't keep him away from announcing his opinions. About two weeks ago, he made some hinting remarks in an interview of an Israeli secular newspaper: "If I was running for the Knesset right now, I would beat SHASS (the Sephardi haredi Knesset party run by Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef and Eli Yishai)".

Does Lalom's statement mean that he has political ambitions and only uses the Beit Yaakov in Emmanuel ? It would be interesting to know who or what political agenda is really standing behind Lalom.

Today, groups of the Agudat Israel such as Gur and many litvishe Haredim are going to demonstrate in Bnei Brak (Rabbi Akiva / Chazon Ish Junction) and later on in Jerusalem (near the Russian Compound). Even the litvishe Poskim (leading halachic experts and Rabbis) Rabbi Eliyashiv and Rabbi Wosner announced their participation in both demonstrations. Actually Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliyashiv had to make a halachic decision yesterday when he was asked whether it is allowed that Talmud Torah students are allowed to miss their studies when participating in today's demonstrations. Rabbi Eliyashiv's answer was that the fight against the secular verdict of a secular court is more important because it is a fight for protecting the Torah and its legal system. 

For weeks or even months, the Beit Yaakov girl's school in Emmanuel has been in the Israeli headlines. Today the secular and anti - haredi paper YEDIOT ACHARONOT dedicates its first four pages just to haredi society and how all Haredim are so terribly bad for the modern State of Israel. It has become extremely popular to lead away from important economical issues and, at the same time, concentrating on haredi society as scapegoats. Secular newspapers as well as secular so - called "lecturers / authors about haredi society" have been spreading their hatred and false information. These days, every little Humptydumpty thinks he is able to commentate and make statements concerning haredi society without having ever been part of frum society. 

However, I bet that most publishers don't even see a difference between those demonstrations taking place in Yaffo by the Edah HaCharedit and today's demonstration against the Supreme Courts stating that Ashkenazi and Sephardi girls from the Beit Yaakov School in Emmanuel MUST study together and any separated school building would be considered as rassicism. 

The demonstrations against moving further bones from a Jewish cemetery is an issue of the Edah HaCharedit and has nothing to do with the Emmanuel demonstrations, as the Edah and the Agudah have totally different school systems and nothing to do with each other !

On the contrary, I can just see the Edah Rabbis smiling because it is not them accepting money from the Zionist government supporting their school systems (see Dushinsky, Toldot Aharon, Toldot Avraham Yitzchak, Spinka and others). Members of the Agudah such as Gur, Belz and I suppose the Slonim as well, do accept money from the Israeli government. As soon as this is the case, the present government is trying to interfere. Never mind but also the Agudah has a secret weapon and doesn't need to point at "maybe we shouldn't accept the money". 

It was the Gerrer Knesset member Yaakov Litzman who appeared on all haredi radio channels yesterday. Litzman, the representative of the Gerrer Rebbe in the Knesset, is running the haredi show and whoever has a problem - "Yankele will take care". 

In his interviews, Yaakov Litzman admitted that he is trying to find a proper solution between all parties involved. The haredi parents of the girls in Emmanuel, the secular Israeli court system and Chassidut Slonim. 

Emmanuel has one Beit Yaakov system but two buildings. One for Sephardi girls and the other for Ashkenazi girls. Both backgrounds don't study together for different reasons:

1. Ashkenazi girls want a good Shidduch (match) and see their goal in danger while studying together with Sephardi girls. 

2. The Sephardi girls in Emmanuel are mostly children from Baalei Teshuva and many of them are not really religious yet. Some were seen not keeping Shabbat. 

3. About two weeks ago, even the former Sephardi Chief Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef said that Sepharadim and Ashkenazim should study separately due to different MInhagim (customs) and mentalities. 

So, lets say those haredi Ashkenazi parents from the Chassidut Slonim in Emmanuel would give in and let their girls study with those Sepharadiyot ? Would Yoav Lalom have reached his goal and Sepharadim and Ashkenazim finally became equal ?

The answer is NO or can you imagine seeing these girls sitting peacefully together in class ?

Two more weeks until the summer vacation and Chassidut Slonim is thinking about moving their girls from Emmanuel to a different school after the summer vacation. Today the Ashkenazi haredishe world is demonstrating against a secular court telling Haredim what to do. A Slonimer Chassid said on the haredi radion channel "Radio Kol Chai" last night that the demonstrations have to take place in a peaceful way. No one should throw stones or attack the cops. Instead the demonstrators want to pray Tehillim (Psalms) together. 

I don't understand this whole issue. Lets say I am joining the Beit Yaakov school systems; at that moment I accept their rules and if I don't like them, I don't join. If the Sephardi girls don't like it, so go to a different school because a court verdict may officially grant you some rights but what about the people later on ? Will anyone accept and love you ? No ! Just the opposite.

As I said, I would love to know who is behind Yoav Lalom. My second question is if the Slonimer Chassidim from Jerusalem join into the fight together with their Bnei Braker counterpart.

Breaking the News: Converts to Judaism may not get Israeli citizenship anymore

B"H

Today the Knesset is going to have a wild discussion:

Should the "Law of Return" (guaranteeing every Jew the right to apply for Israeli citizenship) be changed. "Israel Beitenu" wants to get its bill through the Knesset as soon as possible.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1154520.html

Donations or Justice ?

B"H

Without referring to any present cases or incidents, I am asking the question whether it is more important to keep quiet about negative behaviour of Rabbis or Jewish institution / organizations in order to ensure the donation flow or if the public has the right to know and judge for itself ? Especially when it comes to criminal acts.

I am surprised about the amount of e - mail responses to this blog. First of all, English is not what you would call my mother tongue, and secondly, there are other blogs around which may be more professional.:-)

However, some readers advise me in their e - mails to rather keep quiet about a known Rabbi, institution or organization. Otherwise I would destroy their donations. Basically the person in question would be a great Zaddik. Well, he / she has his / her faults and Yetzers (Yetzer HaRah) but, why not just leaving the subject and, instead, concentrating on the positive sides. Why awaken suspicion and causing the Rabbanut (Chief Rabbinate) or authorities to act ?

Personally I think that the public has a right to know with whom people are dealing. And what about victims, if there are any ? Don't they have a right to be heard ? Especially when it comes to warn others who may be running into the same trap.

As a matter of fact, everyone needs donations nowadays. Nevertheless, whoever (no matter if Rabbi or organization) acts in a negative way, it is not the fault of the public or the person reporting about the issue; as soon as someone acts in a negative manner, he has to expect the consequences and not blame others.

Almost a year ago I had one incident where someone accused me by e - mail (in the worst rude way) of destroying someone's donations. Later on I found out that this guy accusing me is in charge of those donations. Not only that but he is charging the person he is collecting for a huge percentage of the incoming donations. By writing and accusing me he wanted to ensure HIS own income and not necessarily the actual donations.

Money or justice ?

Each of us has to decide what his more important for him !