Rituals of nonbelonging and their emotional toll: Encounters with the orthodox Jewish weddings and burials among generation 1.5 former Soviet Union immigrants in Israel.

This article investigates how Generation 1.5 Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union (FSU) in Israel experience exclusion by the Orthodox establishment through Orthodox Jewish wedding and burial rituals, conceptualized as "rituals of nonbelonging." Despite their Israeli citizenship and self-identification as Jewish, these immigrants face stringent verification of their Jewishness by the Chief Rabbinate before marriage and are often buried in segregated plots by the Orthodox burial society, Hevra Kadisha, without family consent. These practices reflect broader politics of nonbelonging that question their Jewish identity, leading to feelings of humiliation, shame, and alienation among the immigrants. The study highlights the paradox between Israel's inclusive national ethos and the lived marginalization of FSU immigrants, emphasizing the role of religious rituals in reinforcing social boundaries and exclusion within Israeli society.