The story went on to say that “Rabbi Abergel took pity on M., who was sentenced to a life of loneliness by her ex-husband.” Rabbi Abergel, described as “[l]ooking for a creative solution,” ultimately discovered “that the witnesses who signed the ketubah were legally improper. This means M. and her husband had never really married, and so there is no need for a Get to permit M. to marry now.”
This decision was adopted by Rabbi Abergel’s rabbinic court colleagues and the Jerusalem High Bet Din.
With all due respect to Rabbi Abergel and his colleagues, faulty witnessing of the ketubah does not affect the validity of the kiddushin itself. Faulty witnessing of the kiddushin is, of course, a different matter altogether and could properly support an annulment under a particular set of facts.
Israel Hershkowitz
(Via E-Mail)
Media And Obama
Thanks to the editorial page of The Jewish Press for highlighting the hypocrisy, egocentrism, and racial division that characterizes the Obama White House and the president’s campaign for reelection. Hopefully, Jews will come to their senses and understand that this man who continues to violate all decency and honesty, with the help of The New York Times and other mainstream media outlets, is not good for America or Israel.
It’s also disgraceful that once again the press is attempting to bury the story of Obama’s 20-year relationship with Rev. Wright, the man who hates “whitey” and America. The fact that Wright made many incendiary comments while Obama sat in his congregation and befriended him should be a matter of great concern.
For the Times to label this concern as “racism” is disgusting and dishonest. And for the Times to try to turn Mitt Romney’s Mormonism into something menacing is totally despicable. Even worse is that there are Jews who will parrot those words in extolling Obama and denigrating Romney. We are thankful that The Jewish Press is on the side of truth and sanity. Keep up the good work.
Helen Freedman
New York, NY
Third Temple Will Be A Jewish Temple
This past March, Pastor John C. Hagee, founder and national chairman of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), visited Israel, as he does each year.
On this visit Hagee got permission to go to the rooftop of the Aish HaTorah building from where one can see the entire Temple Mount area.
Hagee stood on that rooftop in Jerusalem, the capital of the nation-state of the Jewish people, pointed in the direction of the Temple Mount, the holiest of holies to the Jewish people, and told his followers “there is no question that this is where the temple of the Lord Jesus Christ will be when he rules and reigns the earth from the city of Jerusalem…”
Let me tell Pastor Hagee and his followers: Any temple that will arise on the Temple Mount, where the First and Second Jewish Temples stood, will be the Third Temple of the Third Jewish Commonwealth, the modern state of Israel.
Nurit Greenger
Los Angeles, CA