The Chief Rabbinate of Turkey has banned the universal custom of kissing the bride at the conclusion of a wedding ceremony. The decision was announced this week-end in every synagogue in Turkey.
Religious authorities believe that the synagogue is “not a proper place” for kissing and that the long queues of relatives waiting to kiss the bride and groom “annoy” the newly-weds. From now on, relatives, friends and other well-wishers will line up to shake hands with the couple.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
