The upcoming Lag BaOmer holiday signals the start of Israel's wedding season, prompting researchers to examine when Israelis believe is the optimal time to marry and purchase a first home. According to a comprehensive new survey by the Jewish People Policy Institute, about half of Israelis consider the age bracket of 25-29 ideal for marriage, with significant variations across different demographic groups reflecting the country's diverse cultural landscape.

The survey reveals that approximately half of Israelis believe the ideal age for marriage falls between 25 and 29 – a period when many have completed military service, finished their education, and begun establishing their careers. About one-fifth of respondents preferred a younger age, while a quarter believed it better to marry after age 29.

The data shows significant differences between population groups:

Among ultra-Orthodox and religious Jews, there is a clear preference for marriage at a younger age. Secular Israelis tend to prefer marriage between the ages of 25-29 or later. In international comparison, Israel resembles countries like Argentina, Tunisia, and South Africa in marriage age preferences. In contrast, Bangladesh prefers earlier marriages (20-24), while Peru favors later marriages (30-34).

After the wedding – first home

In Israel's expensive real estate market, purchasing a home represents a significant milestone. The survey findings show that:

26% of Israelis think the ideal age to purchase a first home is 25-29. 23% prefer the age range of 30-34. 20% believe there is no preferred age for buying a first home. 10% think it's advisable to buy a home between the ages of 20-24.

Interesting differences were recorded among population groups:

Among Arab Israelis, approximately 20% prefer to purchase a home at a relatively young age (20-24). Among Jewish Israelis, the preferred average age is 28.3.

The research effectively reflects the cultural and religious differences in Israel's diverse society, demonstrating how different groups approach significant life milestones. Despite these differences, most Israelis believe in establishing a family in their twenties and purchasing a home in their late twenties or early thirties.

Data collection for the Israeli Society Index survey by the Jewish People Policy Institute was conducted through the Index website panel among Jews, and through the Afkar company among Arabs. The data was analyzed and weighted according to voting patterns and religiosity levels to represent the adult population in Israel.

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An Israeli court has made an unprecedented ruling, allowing the marriage of two minors due to exceptional circumstances surrounding the girl's pregnancy and the couple's religious background.

In a rare judicial decision, an Israeli court has approved the marriage of two 17-year-olds despite their ages falling below the country's legal marriage threshold. Judge Itay Karmi, presiding over the case, characterized his ruling as "The best possible decision under the current circumstances" after carefully weighing the complex factors at play.

The couple, who adhere to a religious lifestyle, petitioned the court for permission to marry after the girl became pregnant. Their legal counsel argued that marriage would benefit both young individuals, shielding them from social embarrassment. The attorney emphasized the couple's maturity to make this decision and highlighted the support of their families.

However, the Attorney General opposed the request, basing the objection on an assessment by an appointed social worker. The social worker's report concluded that underage marriages generally do not serve minors' best interests and should only be sanctioned in the most exceptional cases.

Despite this opposition, Karmi granted the couple's request, citing the pregnancy as a crucial factor in his decision. "Given the present situation, the most appropriate course of action is to approve the boy and girl's petition," he stated. He underscored the case's complexity, distinguishing between a "good" decision and a "right" one. He noted that child marriages are typically viewed as an outdated practice that often prioritizes family interests over the minor's wellbeing. Consequently, the judge emphasized that courts must exercise heightened scrutiny when evaluating such requests.

The judge stressed the importance of assessing each case individually, with a focus on the minors' best interests. He stated that marriage should only be approved in exceptional circumstances when it's clear the decision stems from free will without familial pressure and when allowing the marriage would better serve the minor's interests than prohibiting it. Karmi determined that this particular case met these stringent criteria.

In his thorough examination of the case, Karmi considered several key factors: the couple's maturity levels, the quality of their relationship, their family dynamics, and their socio-economic background. He also weighed the potential ramifications of denying the request, including the social and personal challenges associated with an out-of-wedlock pregnancy.

Karmi reasoned, "The concerning effects on the minors' wellbeing are inevitable due to the pregnancy itself. Therefore, permitting the marriage, considering the couple's personal, familial, and social context, will actually mitigate these effects." He posited that marriage would fortify the couple's bond and sense of security, alleviate social discomfort, and aid in their preparation for parenthood. Furthermore, he believed that granting permission would foster a sense of responsibility in both the couple and their families, ultimately serving the best interests of all involved.

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A survey conducted recently on behalf of Rosh Yehudi ("Jewish Head"), a Tel Aviv-based religious Zionist NGO that seeks to encourage spiritual growth, revealed further evidence of a growing trend – first reported on by Israel Hayom some weeks ago – whereby there are currently some 100,000 couples in Israel in which one of the partners is not Jewish. The survey, which attempted to examine the degree of affiliation to Jewish tradition among secular Israelis, found that just 29% of them insist on having a traditional Jewish wedding in accordance with Jewish law.

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While 29.3% responded that it was imperative for their children to get married according to Jewish tradition and law, 25.1% said they considered this issue important and 13.2% said it was only somewhat important. Meanwhile, 26.8% of those asked in the survey said it wasn't important to them for their children to get married in accordance with Jewish law and tradition, and 5.6% responded that they completely oppose traditional Jewish marriage based on Jewish law.

As for their own personal lives, 34% of those asked said the issue was imperative, 22.9% said it was important, 9.4% said it was only somewhat important, and 23.1% said it was not important to them at all; 10.6% said they don't want to get married at all in accordance with Jewish law.

With that, it appears some Jewish rituals are still vital for the average Israeli, even if he or she is not religious or ultra-Orthodox. Among the respondents, 47.8% said it was imperative to them for their children to receive circumcision and an additional 25% said they considered it important. Meanwhile, 8.4% said it was somewhat important for their children to be circumcised, 11.5% said it wasn't important to them, and 7.3% said they were opposed to circumcision.

Incidentally, 64% of the respondents said it was important for them to have a bar or bat mitzvah for their children, while 24% said doing so was imperative.

When it comes to burial ceremonies, too, it seems Jewish tradition was still a priority for many – 66.4% said it was important for them to hold a Jewish burial for a deceased family member, while just 16.8% said it was not important to them and a mere 3% said they object to it.

"As the survey indicates, a very large percentage of the secular-traditional public views upholding the Jewish covenant as imperative, and this is because maintaining this covenant has been ingrained in the Israeli national consciousness and is our identity," said Yisrael Zeira, chairman of Rosh Yehudi. "With that, the figures also show that the Jewish wedding has diminished, most likely due to the changes to familial and romantic lifestyle changes in recent years.

"We've been working for around 20 years to reach anyone who is interested in listening and getting closer (to Judaism), with the aim of deepening their Jewish identity, highlighting the family cell in Judaism, Jewish [romantic] relations, and the Jewish home. We operate from the heart of Tel Aviv and see the considerable thirst for Judaism, even in 'the' secular city," said Zeira.

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Nobel Peace Prize laureate and education activist Malala Yousafzai has announced her marriage  on social media Tuesday.

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The 24-year-old Pakistani human rights campaigner who was shot in 2012 by the Taliban for daring to want an education posted images on Twitter of her celebration with Asser Malik and her family.

Today marks a precious day in my life.
Asser and I tied the knot to be partners for life. We celebrated a small nikkah ceremony at home in Birmingham with our families. Please send us your prayers. We are excited to walk together for the journey ahead.
: @malinfezehai pic.twitter.com/SNRgm3ufWP

— Malala (@Malala) November 9, 2021

"Today marks a precious day in my life,'' Yousafzai wrote. "Asser and I tied the knot to be partners for life. We celebrated a small nikkah ceremony at home in Birmingham with our families. Please send us your prayers. We are excited to walk together for the journey ahead.''

Yousafzai became the youngest Nobel laureate when she shared the 2014 Peace Prize with Indian children's rights activist Kailash Satyarthi for their work on behalf of children and education rights.

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A matchmaking initiative has recently been launched for ultra-Orthodox IDF soldiers by the Netzah Yehuda Association that supports Haredi fighters throughout their service.

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"There is a stigma that Haredim who serve in the military are only interested in clubs and girls, but that is not the case," said Yehuda Shapiro, who overlooks the association's lone soldier department. "Most of them are God-fearing and would also like to get married."

Shapiro explained that the demand for such an initiative came as a result of a growing number of ultra-Orthodox youngsters who choose to get drafted into the military instead of learning Torah full-time, as is common in the community.

"And just as there are Haredi young men who do not want to study full-time, but to serve in the military and enter the job market, so too there are young women who are still ultra-Orthodox but have chosen to pursue an academic degree and are looking for someone who shares their interests. Not everyone wants a husband who learns full-time," he said.

Shapiro and associates set up matches through special Whatsapp groups where the information of young men and women is shared. The service is available for current and former soldier of the ultra-Orthodox Netzah Yehuda Battalion.

Shapiro estimated that besides spearing heartache for soldiers who would otherwise have to turn to traditional Haredi matchmakers, the initiative would also lead to an increase in marriages.

"Instead of a soldier arriving at a date and realizing that his match is far from thrilled about his service in the IDF, there will be much better initial matches that will increase the chances of getting married," he said.

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The Supreme Court ruled this week that concealing one's sexual orientation from one's spouse was not grounds for monetary compensation. The ruling followed a lawsuit filed by an Israeli woman against her ex-husband, in which she claimed he caused her emotional distress during their marriage by hiding the fact that he was gay, and demanded to be compensated with 5 million shekels.

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Married for a decade, the couple divorced five years ago and have three daughters together. The plaintiff filed a lawsuit against her ex-husband together with her mother at the Jerusalem Family Court.

The two claimed the defendant introduced himself to the family as a heterosexual and religiously observant man, but with time found out that he led a secular lifestyle and was homosexual.

The Family Court initially dismissed the lawsuit, prompting the plaintiffs to appeal to the Jerusalem District Court, which ruled there were grounds for a suit.

The woman then took the case to the Supreme Court, which ruled that matters of the heart – the ex-husband's true feelings, his real motives for institutionalizing the relationship with his ex-wife, and the intensity of his sexual attraction towards her or others – could not be debated in a court of law.

It also ruled that an individual had no legal obligation to disclose to their partner or spouse their sexual preferences or level of religious observance, as these were also part of the person's feelings.

Nevertheless, Supreme Court Judge Noam Sohlberg said that the ruling should in no way be seen "as a seal of approval" for any individual to conceal crucial personal information from their partner before marriage.

The Aguda – Israel's LGBT Task Force lauded the ruling.

"We commend the Supreme Court's ruling, which rectified the District Court's grave mistake. Throughout history, it was never possible to seek compensation for heartbreak in a marital relationship, even in difficult cases, such as infidelity, improper behavior and more.

"This is a correct and proper ruling, which prevents the exploitation of legal proceedings in order to take revenge on one's spouse. The previous ruling, that of the District Court, which was annulled, would have imposed a burden on the LGBT community," it said.

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The pandemic brought them together: Elior and Leah Ben Baruch have an unusually moving "how we met" story.

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"When my grandfather, Yehuda, was ill with COVID, his condition got worse, and he was hospitalized on the COVID unit at Hadassah Ein Karem," says Elior, 29, an officer in the Jerusalem District Police's Temple Mount Unit.

"That was during the first wave. There was a lot of concern about transmission, and we couldn't go in and visit Granddad. We were worried about him, and got daily updates from the devoted staff who were caring for him.

"Luckily, my father heard about a relative of someone he knew from France who was working as an X-ray technician at Hadassah Ein Karem and was helping X-ray the COVID patients' lungs. We contacted her and asked her to take care of Granddad and give him support. That technician, who has a huge heart, threw herself into the mission. We didn't know that her willingness to help would end with her joining the family," Elior said.

Leah, 26, added, "Grandpa Yehuda was cared for by the staff. Every time I'd go up to him to see how he was, and update the family. I got to know a charming man and a close family."

When Yehuda was discharged from the hospital, he still needed to be on oxygen, and the family asked Leah to keep helping him.

"I got to know everyone better, and very quickly the connection to Elior turned into something else, to a story of our own, to love," Leah says.

Elior smiles: "It was a crazy time – Leah was always working on the COVID unit at Hadassah, and I was with the police. We were working around the clock to cut off chains of infection. Who would have believed that at a time like that, such a serious relationship could form? Still, it looks like love conquers all. Even the craziness of COVID."

Leah and Elior married in December 2020 in a small ceremony, and Grandpa Yehuda was under the chuppa to bless the couple.

"Leah is pregnant, and we're expecting a baby girl," Elior says. "When she grows up, we'll tell her how COVID brought mom and dad together."

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As Israel readies to reopen its event venues, paving the ways for large-scale wedding celebrations, the Tzohar rabbinical organization is making vaccines mandatory for its members who perform marriages and pre-marriage meetings with brides.

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Tzohar head Rabbi David Stav has informed member rabbis that only officiants who have been vaccinated for COVID-19 or recovered from the virus will be allowed to conduct wedding ceremonies or meet with brides.

"Heaven forbid that the desire to bring the news of family and sanctity entail spreading disease," Stav's message said.

"In the news few days, there will be many wedding ceremonies. Health Ministry regulations must be followed carefully during the wedding, as well as social distancing rules," Stav added.

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The bureau reports that 47% of married couples from the ages of 20-44 were "very satisfied" with their lives, compared to 37% of those who were not married.

From the ages of 45-64, the gap grows with 39% of married couples satisfied with life, compared to only 22% of people unmarried.

In old age, the gap remains with 33% of married people above the age of 65 "very satisfied" with their lives, whereas only 23% of people in the same age group felt the same.

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"The Book of Longings" is told from the point of view of a restless young woman from the Galilee region named Ana, who meets Jesus when he's 18 and eventually marries him. According to Viking, the marriage "unfolds with love and conflict, humor and pathos." Kidd draws upon historical research, but Ana is entirely invented.

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"I believe the aim of the novelist is not only to hold up a mirror to the world as it is, but to imagine what's possible," Kidd told The Associated Press in a recent mail.

"From the moment the idea of writing this novel struck me, I felt the importance of at least imagining a married Jesus. Doing so, provokes a fascinating question: How would the Western world be different if Jesus had married and his wife had been included in his story? There are only speculative answers, but I think Christianity and the Western world would have had a somewhat different religious and cultural inheritance, especially when it came to the egalitarian roles of women, to celibacy, and so forth. Why imagine a woman married to Jesus? Because stories of possibility challenge us to create new realities."

Viking announced Friday that Kidd's new book, originally titled "Ana, the Wife of Jesus," comes out April 28, 2020. Kidd has written about religion and spirituality in her nonfiction works, including "Firstlight" and "The Dance of the Dissident Daughter."

The canonical gospels make no reference to Jesus ever marrying, but scholars, conspiracists and fiction writers have long speculated whether he wed Mary Magdalene, most famously (and controversially) in Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code." Kidd said that her novel is, in part, a response to the marginalized status of women in the Bible.

"The invisibility and silencing of women were real things. In the scriptures, women rarely have speaking parts and they aren't mentioned nearly as often as men," she told the AP.

"It could even be argued that in the first-century Jewish world of Galilee, marriage was so normative, it more or less went without saying. Typically undertaken at 20 (though sometimes up to age 30), marriage was a man's civic, family, and sacred duty. There are compelling reasons to support both sides of the argument. The matter is likely irresolvable."

"All I know," she added, "is that Ana wandered into my imagination and I couldn't ignore her."

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