Court rules Jewish children barred from Barmitzvah/Batmitzvah ceremonies

July 7, 2010 Agencies
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The Catholic father of three Jewish children has won a court battle allowing the offspring to determine their own religious choices.

The children, a 10-yr-old and a set of 8-yr-old twins, had stopped going to Hebrew classes at their own request prior to the injunction being heard in  Melbourne’s Federal Magistrates’ Court.

The Court heard that the 44 yr-old father, known as Mr Macri, did not oppose his children observing the traditional Jewish holidays but he did not want them to participate in Barmitzvah or Batmitzvah ceremonies until the choice was of their own volition. The father also requested an injunction effectively barring the children from attending a Jewish youth group which their mother took them to weekly on the grounds that the group had “an element of political content”.

The magistrate, Terry McGuire, rejected the request to stop the children attending the youth group but he did grant the injunction stopping Barmitzvah and Bartmitzvah lessons effectively stating that the children could not participate in Jewish ceremonies. The children’s Jewish mother had wanted the children to participate in Barmitzvah and Batmitzvah ceremonies and the court heard that the couple’s son had been circumcised..

The magistrate  told the court that the children “are fortunate in that they have the opportunity to directly experience the culture and traditions of the religions practised by each of their parents.”

The Court indicated that the decision would not stop the children choosing the Jewish religion at a later time allowing the father’s request for the children to make their religious choices in “a voluntary and informed way.”

The parents are separated.

Comments

One Response to “Court rules Jewish children barred from Barmitzvah/Batmitzvah ceremonies”
  1. Lynne Newington says:

    I distinctly remember this story but not from this website. I think I may even had commented on it at the time somewhere..
    When a Catholic inter-marries, the no-Catholic partner has to agree to allow the children be reared as a Catholic whether the partner is male or female. . My arguement was the the Jewish line comes through the mother therefore they have the “deciding” vote.
    Of course I was laughed at.
    I also reminded my jeering audience, that after the second world war, those protecting Jewish children from the nazis were specifically told by Pius XX11, they were not to be handed over to the Jewish agencies to re-united with their father’s and mothers.
    I believe it was Harvard Professor Daniel Goldhagen, who brought it to the public in recent times.
    Why wasn’t this commented on this site in relation to this story.
    Surely not political correctness.
    I have often wondered what happened and if the now aged children ever were re-united with their own families.

    Surely not political correctness.

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