Israeli rabbinate

Rabbinate accused of defying court as Israeli women left waiting for exams

Rabbi Seth Farber, the founder and head of ITIM, said the women had been left waiting for hours and that the organization was trying to get them food for lunch.

Three women who arrived in the morning to sit the Rabbinate exams finally do so at a four-hour delay, April 27, 2026
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'

 Ten Israeli couples with a member serving in the IDF taking part in a mass wedding ceremony part of Chabad of Savyon’s “Marrying the Warriors”, in Tel Aviv Port, March 5, 2024.

Israelis want civil marriage, to break rabbinic monopoly in new Tu B'Av poll

Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef speaks during the funeral of Yehuda Deri, the chief rabbi of Beersheba, in Jerusalem, July 9, 2024

New interim chief rabbi appointed, previous resigned over inclusion of female rabbis


Is the Chief Rabbinate becoming obsolete?

What happens when Israelis wish to act outside the confines of Jewish law, or according to an interpretation that differs from that of the conservative Chief Rabbinate?

The rabbis of the Council of the Chief Rabbinate

Israelis marry less through rabbinate, cohabit more -survey

Some 88,000 couples live together without being married, including 83,000 couples where at least one partner is formally recognized as being Jewish.

Wedding rings [Illustrative]

Rabbinate says convicted sex offender Moti Elon may be barred

Rabbi Moti Elon was convicted by the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court in 2013 of two counts of indecent assault by force against a minor.

Rabbi Moti Elon 370

Father of divorce refuser fined 5,000 shekels a day

The Tel Aviv rabbinical court ruled nearly five years ago that the man was obligated to grant a divorce, but he ignored the ruling.

Silhouette of a woman [file]

575 rabbis call on Israel to implement full equality for LGBTs

“The enshrining of discrimination into law, and harmful words spoken by religious leaders, sow the seeds of hatred and brutality in the land."

 Hundreds of members of LGBT community protest surrogacy law in Tel Aviv

Ghosts of Soviet Jewry are strengthening Israel's Jewish future

Ghosts of the Jewish past in the former Soviet Union are helping ensure the integrity of the Jewish people in Israel.

OTH SERGEI AND NITZAN wanted to get married in a Jewish wedding, but they knew from the outset that they would have a problem proving his Jewish status

J’lem chief rabbi asks mayor to remove pride flags

Rabbi Aryeh Stern describes gay pride flags as symbolizing “the opposite” of holiness, and says he is “saddened” that the parade is taking place at all.

LGBT flag on Jerusalem's King George Street, July 31, 2018

Anger in Jewish world grows over detention of Conservative rabbi

The Rabbinical Assembly of the Conservative Movement said it was “outraged” by the incident.

Dubi Haiyun in front of the President's residence, July 19, 2018

The disintegration of the Chief Rabbinate

Is it any wonder so many Israelis have lost confidence in the Chief Rabbinate?

The rabbis of the Council of the Chief Rabbinate

Foreign ministry apologizes for widely panned 'alternative marriages' vid

“I think we erred, we made a mistake,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said in an Army Radio interview.

A couple stands underneath a ‘huppa’ during their secular wedding ceremony in Tel Aviv.