The Chief Rabbinate has decided not to administer the type of rabbinical tests that it is required by a High Court of Justice ruling to make available for female candidates in the upcoming July session, just weeks after three women sat a test for the first time in Israel’s history.

A Rabbinate spokesperson confirmed to The Times of Israel on Monday that the tests won’t be offered in the July session but said they will be available in the fall session, with registration set to begin next week. Asked about the reason for the decision regarding July, the spokesperson declined to answer.

The Chief Rabbinate administers rabbinical tests in the major areas of halacha (Jewish law), including kashrut, niddah (family purity laws), Shabbat, mourning, and marriage laws. Candidates who wish to be eligible to receive rabbinical ordination need to pass a certain number of those tests (six are enough to achieve the level of “neighborhood rabbi,” while the title of “city rabbi” entails 11 tests).

However, the Rabbinate also grants other types of certificates to those who pass the tests, with important economic and social implications. A certain number of tests can be considered equivalent to an academic degree for some public jobs or can guarantee a higher salary.

On that basis, after years of legal battles, the High Court ruled in July 2025 that women must also be allowed to take the standard rabbinical tests to receive the benefits, though not rabbinical ordination, which in........

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