The Supreme Court victory on women’s eligibility for rabbinical exams was handed down in July. More than a month later, it has become clear that the Chief Rabbinate is obstructing the Court’s ruling, preventing registration for everyone — just to ensure that women cannot exercise their newly recognized right. Journalist Shilo Fried reported on this in Ynet:
In recent days it emerged that, despite the Supreme Court’s historic ruling obligating the Chief Rabbinate to allow women to register for rabbinical certification exams, registration—which was supposed to open and close this week—was never launched. The result: thousands of Torah scholars who studied for months cannot sign up, and women—who for the first time in history were supposed to realize their right under the Court’s ruling—are effectively excluded.
The Court’s decision, delivered about six weeks ago by a solid majority, required the Rabbinate to allow women to sit for the exams. Yet immediately after its publication, the Rabbinate announced it had no intention of implementing it. Now it has become evident that by withholding registration altogether, the Rabbinate is blocking not only women but also men from enrolling—effectively halting the entire exam process.
The ITIM association, together with a group of women petitioners—including Rabbi Sarah Segal-Katz—appealed to the Attorney General, demanding that she instruct the Rabbinate to open registration immediately. Their letter argued that the Rabbinate’s defiance constitutes a grave violation of the rule of law, equality, and freedom of profession, and undermines public trust in state institutions.
Rabbi Shaul Farber, ITIM’s chair, emphasized: “Already on the day the ruling was issued the Rabbinate declared it would not implement it—and now it acts accordingly. Thousands who prepared for months will not be able to sit for the exams because of this decision.”
Former Minister of Religious Services Matan Kahana also sharply criticized the Rabbinate’s conduct, blaming the current government for destroying previously reached agreements. The Rabbinate’s only official response: “The Chief Rabbinate of Israel is reviewing the ruling.”
