Law on Recognized Jewish Communities (RJCL) (GJG)

This Act governs the effects of the constitutional recognition of Jewish communities.

Definitions

In this Act, the following definitions apply

1. Recognized Jewish Communities

a. the Israelitische Cultusgemeinde Zürich,

b. the Jewish Liberal Community.

2. Directorate

the Directorate of the Government Council responsible for relations with the Jewish communities.

The recognized Jewish communities are organized as associations in the legal sense of Articles 60 et seq. of the Civil Code.

B. Rights and Obligations

1 The recognized Jewish communities organize themselves autonomously within the framework of cantonal law.

2 They define their organization in detail while upholding rule-of-law and democratic principles.

3 The recognized Jewish communities are committed to the fundamental values of the Swiss legal order, in particular tolerance and peace among religious communities.

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184.1

Law on Recognized Jewish Communities (GjG)

Statutes

1 The statutes of the recognized Jewish communities contain a provision that members may not be excluded without stating reasons (Art. 72 para. 1 SCC).

2 The Directorate approves the statutes. It examines whether they comply with the constitution and the requirements of this law.

Voting and election rights

1 The statutes of the recognized Jewish communities regulate the right to vote and to be elected.

2 They stipulate that each member entitled to vote has only one vote.

3 The members of the recognized Jewish communities entitled to vote elect their spiritual office holders for a term of office of no more than six years.

Register

Here is the English translation of the law article

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1 The recognized Jewish communities maintain a register

of their members residing in the Canton.

2 The respective membership is entered in the residents' registers.

3 The Government Council shall regulate by ordinance the reporting obligation for

children whose affiliation with a recognized Jewish community

or with a recognized ecclesiastical corporation does not arise from

parental circumstances.

4 The recognized Jewish communities shall receive from the tax

registers, in accordance with the Tax Act, the information required for the

calculation of membership contributions.

5 The information from the registers pursuant to paragraphs 3 and 4 shall be

free of charge.

6 Members of the recognized Jewish communities cannot prevent

the disclosure of information from the registers for the purposes mentioned

in paragraphs 3 and 4 and pursuant to Section 23, paragraph 2 of the Act on Reporting

Requirements and Residents' Registers of 11 May 2015^4.

State Services

1. Under the conditions of §§ 19 et seq. of the Church Law, recognized Jewish communities are entitled to the payment of cost contributions.

2. When calculating state benefits, only members residing in the canton are taken into account.

Law on Recognized Jewish Communities (GjG)

184.1

The recognized Jewish communities shall appoint an independent audit body, which shall annually review the legality and compliance with the statutes of the budget and accounting for the members, and provide a written assessment. The audit body's report shall be publicly accessible.

The spiritual office holders (female and male) of the recognized Jewish communities have the right to be admitted to pastoral care in institutions of the Canton and the municipalities, such as hospitals, nursing homes, or prisons.

**Admission to Pastoral Activity**

The recognized Jewish communities have a claim to the use of school rooms against the political communities and the school communities for the free use of public school rooms for religious youth instruction.

1 Recognized Jewish communities are entitled to their own cemetery corresponding to their needs.

2 They establish the cemetery on their own land at their own expense.

3 The Canton supports the recognized Jewish communities in acquiring a suitable plot of land. If this is not possible, it shall provide a plot of land suitable for common use by all Jewish communities in the Canton of Zurich.

C. Supervision

1 The Cantonal Council exercises state oversight over the recognized

Jewish communities. It takes note of their annual report and annual

accounts.

2 The Government Council exercises state supervision over the recognized

Jewish communities.

3 In the event of violations of this Act, it shall take measures to restore

the lawful state of affairs.

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184.1 Act on Recognized Jewish Communities (GjG)

D. Amendment of Existing Law

a. The Municipal Act of June 6, 1926³. . .10

b. The Cantonal Council Act of April 5, 1981⁵. . . 10

c. The Tax Act of June 8, 1997⁷. . .10

d. The Inheritance and Gift Tax Act of September 28, 1986⁸:...10

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1 OS 62, 476. Entry into force: January 1, 2008.

2 ABI 2006, 634.

3 LS 131.1.

4 LS 142.1.

5 LS 171.1.

6 LS 180.1.

7 LS 631.1.

8 LS 632.1.

9 SR 210.

10 For text, see OS 62, 476.

11 Version according to the Church Act of August 28, 2017 (OS 73, 117; ABI 2016-09-

23). In force since January 1, 2021.