A Knesset worker and his fiancée, both with special needs, have petitioned Speaker Yuli Edelstein for permission to be married there.
Nadav Halperin and Hodaya Lowenstein made their request to help promote tolerance for people with special needs, Israel’s Channel 2 reported Thursday.
The couple met under the auspices of the Alei Siach organization, which provides programs for people with special needs, including assisted living, occupational therapy and college.
Chaim Frankel, director of the organization, sent the letter to Edelstein on behalf of the couple, according to Channel 2.
“Allowing a wedding for people with special needs to take place at the Knesset, the heart of Israeli democracy and consensus, would benefit our work to create a more inclusive society for people with special needs in Israeli society,” Frankel wrote. “Your permission would provide an official seal of approval for the hopes of so many people to be included in society. It also would put Israel at the forefront of tolerant countries that are working towards acceptance of ‘the other.’”
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the
terms
Edelstein reportedly is considering the request.
We can't do this work alone.
The war with Iran has been draining for all of us in Israel. But when I heard about a high casualty incident – ballistic missile impacts in Arad and Dimona that left nearly 200 people wounded – I drank a cup of coffee, packed a bag, and headed south.
There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.
As a Times of Israel reporter, I’m committed to telling stories of resilience like Shilgit’s. But my colleagues and I can't do this alone. If you value work like this, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to keep real human reporting like this going.
— Stav Levaton, military reporter
Yes, I'll join
Yes, I'll join
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
