Israeli Chief Rabbis Slam Supreme Court For Allowing Women to Take Rabbinic Test

Israel’s Chief Rabbis issued a forceful rebuke on Monday, condemning the Supreme Court for ordering changes to the country’s semicha system.

Following a meeting of the Chief Rabbinate Council, Chief Rabbis Rav David Yosef and Rav Kalman Ber, Sefardi and Ashkenazi respectively, released a statement protesting the court for stepping into the religious domain.

“We view with great gravity and pain the Supreme Court’s intervention in matters that are not within its authority,” the statement read.

The protest comes in response to a recent ruling requiring the Rabbinate to allow women to take the official exams used to test candidates for halachik knowledge. Until now, those exams were reserved for men.

The Rabbinate stressed that rabbinic testing “is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, according to the tradition of semicha and halachic rulings passed down through the generations, which has always been entrusted solely to the Chachmei Yisrael.”

Despite its strong objections, the Rabbinate indicated it will follow the court order — but made clear that female rabbinic recognition is not under consideration.

The statement underscored that the exams only measure halachik mastery. “To receive eligibility to serve in a rabbinical position, additional conditions are required—such as several years of study, personal interviews, and a lifestyle consistent with the rabbinical role,” it said.

The council also announced plans to appoint a special committee to standardize all requirements related to testing and certification, with recommendations to be submitted for final approval.