Israeli High Court states rabbinical tests must finally be opened to women

Israel’s High Court of Justice has ruled that the Chief Rabbinate must finally open its rabbinical tests to women, marking the first time the country has recognised female Torah scholarship. 

The groundbreaking decision does not entitle women to be ordained as rabbis in Israel – which was not something those petitioning the court had requested – but is being viewed as a major step forward in terms of official recognition of women’s knowledge of halacha – Jewish law.

Rabbi Seth Farber, founder and director of ITIM, a religious rights NGO, told Times of Israel that there were two major implications from the ruling. The first was that “the State of Israel recognises that the rabbinate is subject to the laws and not able to discriminate against women.

“In addition, from the women’s Torah leadership and learning perspectives, it states that there is a clear path towards measuring what scholarship is, and that’s a huge deal, because until now, there has been a tendency to be very dismissive of women’s Torah scholarship.”

While traditionally female rabbis have not been recognised in Orthodox Judaism, there have been significant efforts in recent years to recognise and grant religious status to learned Orthodox women. Yeshivat Maharat in the United States and Midreshet Ein Hanatziv in Israel have been at the forefront of programmes – both individually and jointly – to grant semicha – ordination – to women. In the UK, the Chief Rabbi’s Ma’ayan programme trains women as high-calibre Jewish educators as well as experts in the area of taharat hamishpacha (family purity).

Meanwhile, in Progressive denominations, and particularly in the Diaspora, the concept of female rabbis has been very much normalised.

Tori Greene, an American reform rabbi-in-training who just finished a semester in Israel, is excited about the development. She told Jewish News: “I think, regardless of the kind of Judaism we practice, we benefit from representation and I think Orthodoxy is going to see really wonderful shifts by bringing women’s voices into the conversation as official authorities. Change doesn’t happen overnight.”

Stacy Hackner, a reform rabbi-in-training based in London, shares similar feelings. She said: “There are so many incredibly learned women out there, and this ruling enshrines that in a move against discrimination.

“It’s fortuitous that this ruling has happened in the 50th year of women rabbis in the UK, starting with Rabbi Jackie Tabick, who broke many glass ceilings for us and serves as an inspiration.”

Rabbi Tabick was ordained in 1975, three years after the first Reform women’s ordination in the United States.