High Court rejects Rabbinate request for another hearing on women taking rabbinical tests

The High Court of Justice has rejected the Chief Rabbinate’s request to hold an additional hearing on opening rabbinical tests to women, a spokesperson for the ITIM religious rights group, one of the petitioners, tells The Times of Israel.

The rabbinate administers tests in the major areas of halacha (Jewish law). Candidates wishing to be recognized as rabbis must pass a minimum of six tests. The rabbinate also grants other types of certificates to those who pass the tests, with significant economic and social implications.

In 2019, ITIM and some other groups and individuals petitioned the court, arguing that women should be able to take the tests to receive the same benefits (they did not ask for women to receive rabbinical ordination, which in mainstream Orthodox Judaism is reserved for men).

After a lengthy legal battle, in July, the court instructed the rabbinate to allow women to take the tests. Subsequently, the rabbinate never opened the registration for the following round of testing, which was set to take place this month.

Last month, the rabbinate declared its willingness to allow women to take some of the tests, requesting an additional hearing and the possibility of administering the November tests only to men.

The court rarely grants additional hearings after a ruling, and the rabbinate’s request has been denied.