The sixth course sponsored by the Rabbinical Centre of Europe, on the topic of Rabbis officiating at weddings, has been completed.

The four-day course took place in the local educational complex for youth, Ohr Avner, and it was directed by Rabbi Shlomo Wilhelm, the Rav of Zhytomyr and its district.

Shiurim were delivered by Rabbi Eliyahu Bar-Shalom, shlita, Rav in Yerushalayim and author of the well-known series of sefarim, Mishpat Hakesubah. Rav Bar-Shalom is known among Israeli Rabbanim as an expert in the halachos of chuppah vekiddushin, and he has solved many complex halachic problems relating to these topics.

The RCE staff invested much in finding a pleasant environment for this course. Ohr Avner’s educational complex in Zhytomyr was chosen as the venue because it has a quiet, pastoral atmosphere, giving the visitor a feeling of tranquility. Next to the charming guest house is also a beis midrash and a modern dining hall. The rabbis who lodged there enjoyed the beautiful, comfortable accommodations. They stayed up until very late each night, studying in depth many complex passages of Orach Chaim, Yoreh De’ah, Even Ha’ezer and Choshen Mishpat. They also learned the halachos and text of a kesubah as detailed by the Rishonim, and they studied presentations of hilchos chuppah vekiddushin from contemporary authors. At the end of the course they took a comprehensive exam of the halachos.

Deputy director of the RCE Rabbi Aryeh Goldberg reported that after the tests are examined and graded, each Rav will receive an official certificate from the RCE, signed by the members of the RCE’s presidium as well as by the Chief Rabbis of Israel, Harav Yitzchak Yosef and Harav David Lau. At that point, the Rabbanim will be officially recognized as qualified to officiate at Jewish weddings.