Tzohar announces only vaccinated rabbis can officiate weddings

The move precedes Israel's plans to reopen the economy, beginning with restaurants, concert halls and event halls, which will allow for large wedding gatherings.

An illustrative photo of a Jewish wedding in front of the Mediterranean Sea. (photo credit: MENDY HECHTMAN/FLASH90)
An illustrative photo of a Jewish wedding in front of the Mediterranean Sea.
(photo credit: MENDY HECHTMAN/FLASH90)
Tzohar Chair Rabbi David Stav announced Friday that rabbis who refuse to be vaccinated will not be assigned to conduct weddings.
The move precedes Israel's plans to reopen its economy on Sunday, beginning with restaurants, concert halls and event halls, which will allow for large wedding gatherings.
In line with the plans to reopen and within that the expectations to officiate more weddings, the Tzohar Rabbinical Organization announced that only vaccinated rabbis will be able to conduct these ceremonies.
“The last thing we would want is that weddings which should be defined by holiness and a sense of family should serve to help spread the virus,” said Stav.
“We know that in the coming days and weeks we'll be blessed to see a large increase in the number of weddings," he added. "By taking the proper precautions and abiding by the Health Ministry regulations we can make sure that these events will be ones of only happiness and health.”