(JTA) — An Israeli couple married on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem despite rules prohibiting Jews from carrying out religious rituals at Judaism’s holiest site.
Tom Nisani and Sara Lurcat wed Thursday in a rushed ceremony at the site where the First and Second Temples once stood.
Jews are forbidden from praying at the site, which is home to the Muslim Dome of the Rock shrine and a flashpoint for conflict between Jews and Muslims.
In a video distributed to the media, the couple can be seen walking at the site accompanied by a police escort, as is the norm for Jewish visitors there.
Nisani quickly places a ring on Lurcat’s finger in front of witnesses and then recites the traditional wedding blessing. The couple is dressed in street wear rather than traditional wedding clothes.
Nissan and Lurcat wrote on Facebook that they hoped their wedding would inspire other couples to be married on the Temple Mount.
The couple is active in a group called Students for the Temple Mount; Nisani serves as its chairman. He also works as the national activist coordinator for the right-wing Zionist group Im Tirtzu.
In 2016, The Temple Institute, a Jerusalem-based organization that wants to build a third temple on the Temple Mount, claimed it held a secret Jewish wedding at the site.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
