Michael Foua Wears Tefillin During Supreme Court Hearing, Sparking Judges' Discussion

Michael Foua, chairman of the organization "Choosing Family," appeared at the Israeli Supreme Court wearing tefillin during a hearing on a petition his group filed concerning regulations on sperm retrieval from deceased donors. The hearing took place on Wednesday before Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, Vice President Noam Sohlberg, and Justice Daphne Barak-Erez.

At the start of the session, Justice Sohlberg noticed Foua's unusual appearance and inquired about the practice. Foua explained that about two months ago, he committed to wearing tefillin throughout the entire day, noting that during times of exile and persecution, people stopped this daily practice. Sohlberg remarked that wearing tefillin all day requires maintaining a sacred atmosphere, which can be challenging amid everyday distractions. Foua responded that distractions only occur when engaging in frivolous or inappropriate activities, but not during work or similar tasks.

Supreme Court President Amit interrupted the exchange, acknowledging the rarity of Foua's act and commenting, "I am glad you consider the Supreme Court a sacred place; this will help us in other contexts. What you are doing is very unusual." The discussion highlighted the intersection of religious practice and the court's environment during the legal proceedings.

The hearing itself focused on the petition filed by Foua's organization regarding the legal framework for harvesting sperm from deceased individuals, though the article does not detail the petition's content or outcome.