Operation Wedding in the Sky
Dozens of Israeli couples opposed to the Rabbinate’s authority over wedding proceedings in the country fly to Cyprus, so as their weddings take place they are literally flying high.
Some of the couples who refuse to be wedded in Israel given their opposition to the rabbinical institution which presides over all weddings—on the proviso that they are in accordance with Jewish law—were part of the ‘operation’ dubbed ‘Wedding in the Sky’ which saw the couples fly to Cyprus to seal the deal. However, the official wedding ceremony took place during the flight itself.
“The whole idea of a wedding in Cyprus is that the institution in Israel will recognize us. So if a special wedding on a plane can be combined then great,” explained the 46-year-old groom llan Shanir.
“It was a complex logistical operation but a whole lot of fun,” said the operation’s organizer, Natan Ortzki. “We bought a plane from Cyprus with Cypriot representatives who can marry the couples and in Cyprus we celebrated with the families.”
