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.
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.
