Women at the doors of the rabbinate: a decision awaited for years

On February 11, 2026, the Ministry of Religious Affairs published a standard notice for exam registration for the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. Formally — routine, another set, familiar bureaucracy.

But the text contained something that was recently considered impossible: not only men can submit documents.

The news was first detailed by Haaretz. For a system that has maintained the status quo for decades, this is not a cosmetic change, but an institutional shift.

And yes, it’s not about issuing rabbinical certificates to women in ultra-Orthodox yeshivas tomorrow. It’s about a state exam and an official diploma that has legal force.

Why a rabbi’s certificate is about career and money

Israeli reality is structured differently than many outside the country think. A document issued by the rabbinate is not only a religious status.

After legislative changes, the diploma is equated to an academic degree. It must be considered in competitions, appointments, determining positions, and salary levels.

That is why there is so much tension around formal admission to the exams.

The law that started it all

A key role was played by the reform carried out in 2019 by the then Minister of the Interior Aryeh Deri. Rabbinical certificates gained state weight.

Job market ads appeared that would have seemed like a joke before: a specialist is required — an alternative, a rabbi.

For men, it became an additional elevator. For women — a closed door.

Six lawsuits and six years of waiting

Immediately after the law was passed, a group of female applicants studying Judaism in academic and liberal religious structures appealed to the Bagatz. The wording was direct: the state provides bonuses but denies access based on gender.

The process dragged on for years.

The defendants used every procedural opportunity not to make a substantive decision. Hearings were postponed, positions clarified, deadlines moved.

In the summer, the court finally put an end to it: the exclusion of women was recognized as discrimination. The state is obliged to provide the opportunity to take exams and, upon successful results, issue a diploma.

In the professional community, they then spoke cautiously: implementation will be more difficult than the verdict itself.

Attempts to delay

After the decision, administrative maneuvers began. The exams scheduled for November were canceled. Then rescheduled.

Arguments varied, but the meaning was clear — to buy time.

Meanwhile, for the legal system, the issue was already closed.

At this moment, the discussion was closely monitored in the media, including NANews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency, because the consequences go far beyond religious institutions. This is a story about access to state opportunities, and therefore about social mobility.

Who will come to the exam

Of the six original applicants, one reached the final stage. Sarah Segal-Katz, 46 years old.

She is now preparing to undergo the procedure and may become the first woman to receive an official rabbi diploma from the state rabbinate.

The very fact of her admission already changes the system of coordinates. Even if the number of women in the coming years is singular, a precedent has been set.

Next will begin the practical phase: how documents will be processed, what positions will become real for them, how institutions will react where a rabbinical certificate provides advantages.

The answers to these questions will determine how deep the current turn will be.

But the formal boundary has already been crossed.