Chuppot by Hashgacha Pratit

Looking to support halachically Jewish weddings based on pluralism, respect and dignity? Orthodox weddings in Israel, absent of religious coercion: that’s what we do here at Chuppot. We are the religious voice calling for freedom of religion in Israel. Ironically, Israel is the only country in the world which can legally disallow two Jews from marrying each other. That’s because all religious services in Israel - including kashrut certification, conversion, marriage, divorce, and burial - were under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Chief Rabbinate until 2018, and most of these services are still entirely within their control. Our parent organization, Hashgacha Pratit, was the first initiative to ever successfully break the Chief Rabbinate’s monopoly on religious services in Israel. Hashgacha Pratit invested five years in creating a grassroots movement to break the kashrut certification monopoly, winning its Supreme Court case in 2018. Immediately thereafter, Hashgacha Pratit founded Chuppot, and our mighty team began working on breaking the next monopoly: weddings. Since the Chief Rabbinate alone still controls legal marriage eligibility, it holds the unique authority to deny service to any citizen. Due to their political leanings, the Chief Rabbinate refuses service to thousands of halachically Jewish Israeli citizens annually, and that number grows every year. Today, couples who wished to marry outside the authority and draconian rules of the Chief Rabbinate (by choice or by prohibition) often leave Israel, halacha, or both to do so. Our movement is only six years old, and we’ve already married over 3,000 Jewish Israelis within halacha, empowering young couples to avoid the overly stringent, discriminatory practices of the Chief Rabbinate, which is infamous for its consistent exclusion of immigrants’, converts’, and women's rights. We are expanding with incredible speed, earning widespread recognition and support, and moving toward a critical mass of Israelis who are demanding halachic weddings driven by diversity, inclusion, and dignity within Israel. Our wedding officiants, both male and female certified Orthodox Rabbis, are committed to guiding and supporting each couple in designing a customized wedding ceremony according to their traditions, lifestyle, and within the framework of halacha. Freedom of religion in Israel requires the possibility of choice. We work to establish freedom of religion in Israel, highlight options and flexibility within halacha, and to restore inclusion and autonomy to every Israeli Jew. While Israel’s Chief Rabbinate has effectively driven Jews away from halacha by denying services, we challenge that status quo dynamic and advocate for respect, flexibility, and inclusion. Our numbers grow exponentially each year, and with your help, we can overcome legally mandated religious coercion, marrying Israelis by embracing both halacha and dignity.