Chief rabbinate of israel

Parashat Vayechi: Keeping Israel Jewish – without coercion

We should value democracy, safeguard it within Israeli society, and participate actively wherever we reside, cherishing the liberties and dignity it secures.

|ByMOSHE TARAGIN
EXPRESSING SUPPORT for separation of church and state.
DESPITE BEING fully recognized by the Chief Rabbinate, many Orthodox converts are living in legal and social limbo, denied citizenship, as they face systemic bureaucracy and discrimination at the Interior Ministry. Here, women pray at the Western Wall.

Recognized by the rabbinate, Orthodox converts trapped in legal limbo over Israeli citizenship

RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS: “Why do I have to keep proving myself? Am I a second-class Jew?” said an Orthodox converted Jewish woman in an interview with The Jerusalem Post.

|ByBATSHEVA SHULMAN
SUPREME COURT Justice Noam Sohlberg attends a ceremony for fallen Israeli soldiers whose burial place is unknown at Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem on March 6.

Rabbinate seeks retrial on ruling allowing women to take exams, blames 'halachic noncompliance'

The Rabbinate's argument rested on what it presented as firm halachic noncompliance with women taking the exams, as certain topics covered therein are prohibited by nature.

|BySARAH BEN-NUN
Women studying at Matan Women's Institute for Torah Studies in Jerusalem.

A small and insufficient victory: Female Torah scholars - opinion

A public body in which women cannot hold certain roles is invalid according to the principles of democracy and not to be taken seriously.

|By AYALA GOLDBERG

The Chief Rabbi's comments: Tone deaf and damaging - comment

Today, there is a strong sense that if people want to leave, they should go -- no one is keeping them here. 

MARCH 10, 2024ByHERB KEINON
Israel's Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef speaks during a ceremony of the Israeli police for the Jewish new year at the National Headquarters of the Israel Police in Jerusalem on September 22, 2022.

It's time to acknowledge women's Torah knowledge - opinion

The High Court of Justice ruling is significant in that it is a critical recognition of women’s education, knowledge, and integration into the sphere of Torah and Halacha.

JANUARY 27, 2024ByDEVORAH EVRON
THE WRITER converses with students in the Midreshet Lindenbaum Beit Midrash in Jerusalem.

High Court rules: Women can be on committee to select Chief Rabbi

The impact of the decision is yet to be seen: it does not mandate, but merely permits, the inclusion of women to be considered for the committee that selects Chief Rabbis and Chief Rabbinate Council.

JANUARY 14, 2024ByLEON KRAIEM
A WOMAN seeking divorce in a ‘beit din’ was the sole female in the room until the advent of ‘toanot.’ (Illustrative)

This is why Israel plans to bury hundreds of cars, with ashes and blood stains

To preserve the sanctity of those murdered by Hamas, for the first time since the establishment of the state, they decided to bury the vehicles.

NOVEMBER 22, 2023ByZVIKA KLEIN
Rabbi Yaakov Rose of ZAKA Tel Aviv examining the cars with remains in southern Israel

Israelis killed on October 7 denied Jewish burials due to halachic status

The incidents came to light on Monday during a Knesset discussion about expediting the conversion process for those currently serving in the IDF.

NOVEMBER 13, 2023ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Alina Falahati, 21, who was murdered on October 7 and buried 'outside the fence' due to her halachic status (she had not completed the conversion process to Judaism.)

'Wombs for rent': Opposition MK decries the lack of female reps on religious councils

Biton made the comments during a verbal scuffle between Labor Party MK Gilad Kariv and ultra-Orthodox coalition members.

JUNE 28, 2023ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
MK Dvora Biton taken out by Knesset guards during a a Constitution, Law and Justice Committee meeting on the planned judicial reform, at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem on June 25, 2023

Shas, Otzma Yehudit face off over controversial Chief Rabbinate bills

Shas controls both offices that have the most influence on religious services – the Religious Affairs Ministry and the Interior Ministry.

JUNE 27, 2023ByELIAV BREUER
Itamar Ben Gvir, Minister of National Security and head of the Otzma Yehudit political party gives a press statement during a party meeting in the southern Israeli city of Sderot, May 3, 2023.

High Court overturns Chief Rabbinate ban on Tzohar kashrut for imports

Some two years ago, the Chief Rabbinate's imports committee denied an initial Tzohar request to allow its certification to apply for imported goods.

JUNE 21, 2023ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
A WOMAN walks past a Jerusalem eatery with a Tzohar kashrut certificate.

Chief Rabbinate election delay bill passes first reading

According to Israeli law, the chief rabbis serve for 10 years, and religious councils for five years.

JUNE 19, 2023ByELIAV BREUER
ASHKENAZI CHIEF Rabbi David Lau and Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef at an event in Jerusalem earlier this year. Who is lining up to replace them?

'Being a Nation State': Evolution of Israel's Jewish, democratic balance - review

Tensions have moved along two interrelated axes in Israeli society: between Jewishness as a national identity and democracy; and Judaism as a religion and democracy.

JUNE 3, 2023ByGLENN C. ALTSCHULER
A MARCH from Ramat Gan to Bnei Brak in protest of the haredi community’s monetary demands for the upcoming budget, last month.