Q&A: Marriage Not Through the Rabbinate
Marriage Not Through the Rabbinate
Question
I saw that in several places your view is that one should not marry through the Rabbinate, though one should register after the marriage. As I understand it, the main complication is not at the time of the marriage, because then you can simply choose a wedding officiant who is on the couple’s wavelength, but afterward—in divorce, releasing agunot, and so on. So what does the whole thing help if they register with the Rabbinate afterward? Am I missing something?
Answer
First of all, they would not be able to register with the Rabbinate, only with the Interior Ministry. But in any case, this is a protest step. Already now people are working on halakhically valid divorce outside the Rabbinate (it seems to me there already is such a framework), and releasing agunot is certainly possible without the Rabbinate (mainly without it).
Discussion on Answer
You can register with the Interior Ministry in various ways (Cyprus, etc.)
But anything that is not done through the Rabbinate also will not be recognized by the Interior Ministry, even though the kiddushin were not done through the Rabbinate?
If so, then there is no difference between marrying through the Rabbinate or not, aside from the protest of course.