My husband and I are both Jewish but we got married in a civil ceremony abroad out of choice because we are both very secular. We are considering divorce . Do we have to go to the rabbinate if we want to organize the divorce here . in Israel?
By: דיאנה שאלתיאל•Published on: 09 May, 2022Yes, if you want to divorce in Israel. The Rabbinical Courts have exclusive jurisdiction on matters of marriage and divorce between two Jews who are residents or citizens of Israel, no matter where or in what kind of ceremony they married. Although Jewish law only recognizes a Jewish religious marriage as valid a Jewish couple who married in a civil ceremony abroad will still have to go through the rabbinate to get a special kind of divorce to erase any doubt . You also need this if you wish to remarry, according to Jewish law.