British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 924

CHAPTER XXII.

of the community, of which the following three are the most important :-

(a) The first concerns the provision made in section I, 7 of the Jewish Community Rules for "opting out" of the recognized Jewish community. The Agudat Israel have asked that members of the Jewish population may in future be required to "opt in" to the Vaad Leumi instead of at present being automatically regarded as members unless they "opt out". They claim that it requires considerable moral courage to "opt out" and that there are practical difficulties in the procedure. Government has not been able to agree to the contention that it requires considerable moral courage to "opt out" and do not propose to adopt the alternative proposed, since this would mean in effect that some 300 ,000 adult Jews would be required to make a declaration that they were members of the recognised Jewish community in order to save a minority from giving notice of "opting out". It is true that there have been certain difficulties in procedure which on occasion have led to doubts as to whether notice of "opting out" has been given in accordance with the Rules. An amendment to the Rules, providing that the notice should be in writing in a prescribed form and that the signature thereon should be attested by a notary public, has therefore been drafted and published for opportunity of comment by the public". The Agudat Israel are not, however, satisfied with the new procedure proposed, largely on account of the cost of obtaining a notarial notice; the amendment has not yet been enacted and is still under consideration by Government.

(b)The Agudat Israel complain of the removal from their control of certain matters of personal status following the enactment in 1926 of the Religious Communities (Organisation) Ordinance. In particular they resent the fact that the right of sanctioning divorce for their members was withdrawn from them and confined to the rabbinical courts. The Government maintains the policy of refusing to recognize the Agudat Israel as a separate religious community; but consideration is now being given to the preparation of legislation to provide for the registration of marriages and divorces of, among others, Jews who are not members of the recognised Jewish community; such legislation should go some way to meet the objections raised by the Aguda in regard to divorce.
__________________________________________________________________________________
* Palestine Gazette No. 1435 of 23.8.44, page 969.

924