Biography
Legal Philosopher Irit Rosnblum is an Israeli lawyer who came up with the social idea of the New Family and established an organization bearing the same name. According to her philosophy, one achieves wholeness when he or she manages to create a stable, supportive family as a couple or as parents or both together.
Irit Rosenblum acquired her legal and philosophical education at Tel Aviv University. In the early stages of her career, Rosenblum worked as a family lawyer while teaching civics at a local elementary school. For seven years, Irit Rosenblum served as Deputy Head Council in charge of Education Affairs in the town of Shoham where she lived. Irit Served as the Legal Advisor to WIZO - the largest Jewish women's organization in the world. Over the course of three decades, she has taught countless courses on "Family History" at various universities in Israel, lectured in Israel and abroad on the Family Revolution and about her worldview. She has also published hundreds of articles in magazines, websites and daily newspapers as well as actively participated in numerous television and radio programs.
Rosenblum's achievements in the field of family rights are quite substantial, both in terms of the general concept of the legal term “family” and in relation to all the rights and freedoms deriving from it.
A fundamental aspect of Rosenblum's work on family freedoms and rights is her success in creating civil alternatives and creative legal solutions for those who could not or did not want to live in the conventional "recognized" family life that would entitle them to legal protection, such as single-parent families, spouses who are unable to marry because they are of mixed religions, same-sex couples and spouses who were disqualified for marriage in light of religious prohibitions.
Two decades ago, Irit Rosenblum observed that demography, ecology, and biology create a change in the structure of the family unit faster than the establishment was prepared for. She studied this field, realizing that just as people's lives changed in terms of their demographics; birth patterns, settlement, socialization, etc., the structure of the family unit had changed too. Waves of emigration worldwide, led to the assimilation different peoples among new societies and countries. Moreover, people have been experiencing physiological and biological changes that delay fertility and create a new balance of power between themselves and their families. All of these combined are bound to create new family cells that will require humane and reliable solutions.
Adv. Irit Rosenblum has successfully managed to bridge the gaps between the individual and the family; family and community; community and state as well as between family and the law.
In 1998, Adv. Irit Rosenblum founded the New Family Organization, which implemented her worldview and professional approach, and has already assisted over 100,000 families in Israel, given them the ability to lead their family life with dignity and recognition.
Since establishing the organization, Adv. Irit Rosenblum has changed the face of Israeli society and the Israeli family by creating civic alternatives that address the various dilemmas of personal status in Israel.
Irit Rosenblum has implemented her innovative ideas through the groundbreaking "legal products" she has developed for which she has gained even greater recognition and endorsement by prestigious international award committees. These products include the Domestic Union Card, a unique solution in the absence the option of civil union in Israel; the Infinity Card™ and the Biological Will ™ a document pertaining to posthumous use of one’s fertility cells.
I believe that one’s liberty and right to a family and to gain continuity are a vital foundation to one’s existence and their ability to fully function as a person, therefore society is obligated to enable them to do so.
Noteworthy Achievements
and Milestones
2017
The District Court recognized the Domestic Union Card™ as a document that constitutes the basis for marriage.
2017
The Settlement Division accepted a petition made by New Family to allow common-law spouses to live in Kedumim.
2017
Tax exemption on insurance funds granted to a widower based on his Domestic Union Card bearing his deceased partner’s name.
2017
Introduced the “Children Extension” to the Domestic Union Card™ which is a declaration of legal parenthood with respect to children shared by spouses.
2016
The Ministry of Housing recognizes the Domestic Union Card™ as proof of eligibility to participate in the national housing lottery plan.
2015
The first shift in perception regarding applying income tax on the single-sex family. Same-sex couples were granted equal status to that of a married couple in several new areas. (Transfer of securities, insurance rights, etc.).
2014
The Domestic Union Card™ was recognized as marriage in the Family Court, for the first time.
2013
The Academy of the Hebrew Language established a committee with the purpose of coming up with terms that would suit the new roles the new family unit.
2013
The Ministry of Transport recognizes the Domestic Union Card™ for the purpose of granting rights as a married couple.
2013
The New Family manifest was published.
2010
A pair of twins were brought to Israel after being born in India via surrogacy to two male partners.
2010
The Domestic Union Card™ is registered as a trademark in the European Union.
2009
“Wedding of the Century” is held in Tel Aviv, where Irit Rosenblum officiates a public wedding ceremony for a number of same-sex couples celebrating the city’s 100th anniversary.
2009
Petition to match the rights of same-sex couples was accepted by the National Insurance Institute.
2007
The Domestic Union Card™ was introduced as the civic alternative to marriage in Israel. So far, over 60,000 people have issued their Domestic Union Cards.
2002
For the very first time in Israel, a civil union wedding ceremony officiated by Irit Rosenblum is held in the town of Shoham. The ceremony united in matrimony a man and a woman, immigrants from the former Soviet Union whom were denied the right for a Jewish wedding by the Rabbinate. This unique moment is still remembered as a pivotal moment in the family revolution.
2002
A legal agreement between a female couple was first brought to be ratified by the family court for the first time in Israel.
2001
Following her petition to the Supreme Court of Justice, Adv. Rosenblum achieved a breakthrough in receiving partial recognition of civil marriage: civil marriages in foreign
consulates were approved and recognized by the state for foreign nationals residing in Israel.
2017
Led to the court’s approval to make use of the frozen sperm of a minor who wished to father children after his death.
2017
The “Continuity Law” bill is brought to the Knesset, according to which relatives will be allowed to use the genetic material of their diseased love-ones.
2016
A court authorized the parents of a minor who passed away from cancer to bring a child into the world with a woman using their son’s frozen sperm.
2014
The Court approved the world’s first written Biological Will and allowed the parents of the deceased to use his sperm according to his will.
2013
The first ever Biological Will™ baby is born.
2011
The Biological Will™ is implemented for the first time resulting later in the birth of a child to a woman who passed away two years prior to his birth.
2010
Adv. Irit Rosenblum initiates a project aimed to assist grandparents renew relationships with grandchildren from which they have been alienated and led to an amendment of the Legal Capacity and Guardianship Law.
2008
Led to the approval of the appeal procedure over the State’s ruling regarding child adoption.
2007
Brought to an approval warranted by the court according to which parents will be able to make use of their deceased son’s sperm.
2001
Introduced the idea of the Biological Will ™ and initiated a project one of its kind in the world: a state-funded sperm bank for soldiers. At the same time, Irit Rosenblum began a similar project to promote the concept in the US Military where it is already being implemented.
2016
Introduced the idea of the Infinity Card™ (digital will) which is a digital card containing an electronic storage unit of a written and filmed last will in testament. The will is also viewable on mobile phones and has been patented worldwide.
2016
Published the book In God’s Garden – A Historiographic book describing the history of the family revolution. The book was in the bestseller’s list in Israel for 3 weeks.
2013
Published the Ideological Manifesto titled J’accuse.
2002
Published the Book – The New Family – listing the New Family’s array of legal rights.
2017
The Rappaport Prize for Change Generating Women
2016
Lady Globes Newspaper – One of the 50 most influential women in Israel (as well as in
2008, 2010 & 2013)
2015
Stevie Award – Woman of the year in Innovation for inventing the Infinity Card™
2014
Stevie Award – Woman of the year in Innovation, Leader of the global family revolution.
2012
Stevie Award – Iinnovative Business woman of the Year.
2011
LM Award – For inventing the Biological Will™ as a groundbreaking innovative legal product.
2010
Women Social Leadership Award. The first Israeli to win this award.
2010
Washington University Hubbard One Award for Legal Innovation for inventing the Domestic Union Card™
2009
Innovaction Award for Legal Innovation.
2007
The Marker Women Newspaper – One of the 40 most influential women in social issues in Israel.