Israeli rabbinate

Chief Rabbinate Council disputes Tzohar kashrut approval hours after authorization

“The approval was granted unlawfully and did not go through the Chief Rabbinate Council as required,” Director General of the Ministry of Religious Services Yehuda Avidan said.

JULY 2, 2026|ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

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

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.

APRIL 27, 2026|BySARAH BEN-NUN

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.

OCTOBER 20, 2025|BySARAH BEN-NUN

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

When asked which way they would like their children to marry, assuming all options were available, only 50% of Israeli Jews chose an Orthodox marriage.

AUGUST 18, 2024|ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Amb. Dermer forms group of rabbis to bypass established organizations

"The convening rabbis will conduct a dialogue and cooperate with the Jews of Israel on issues pertaining to the entire Jewish people.

AUGUST 8, 2019ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Israel's ambassador to the US, Ron Dermer (R) greets House Rep. (D) Jerrold Nadler

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?

FEBRUARY 17, 2019ByDAN FEFERMAN

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.

FEBRUARY 6, 2019ByJEREMY SHARON

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.

JANUARY 21, 2019ByJEREMY SHARON

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.

AUGUST 27, 2018ByJEREMY SHARON

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."

AUGUST 7, 2018ByJEREMY SHARON

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.

AUGUST 3, 2018ByJEREMY SHARON

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.

JULY 31, 2018ByJEREMY SHARON