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Judge Orders Observance of Religious Rules In Custody Decision

By Howard M. Friedman

Yesterday's Jewish Chronicle reports on an unusual order in a bitter custody battle over their 7-year old son between Elina Margolina, an Orthodox Jew, and her former husband, Nelson Derbigney who is now remarried to an Hispanic Catholic woman. Elina complained that her former husband was ruining their son's religious upbringing. She alleged he fed him a non-kosher hot dog and mocked the kippah (skull cap) he wore. So a Chicago judge ordered Nelson and his new wife, Laura, to follow Sabbath rules by not to driving on Saturdays when they had visitation rights, and to cook the boy only kosher food. The judge also stipulated where the Derbigney's could shop for kosher food and required that they have the boy wear a kippah to school. Nelson claims that his ex-wife was a Reform Jew and only became religiously observant after they divorced three years ago.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on June 04, 2010 (boomark / email).