The turmoil over women's rabbinical exams: Three women arrived today (Monday) to take the Chief Rabbinate's certification exams. This was after the High Court ruled that registration would also be open to women.
The exams, which are held at the offices of the Chief Rabbinate in Givat Shaul, Jerusalem, include certification for the certificates of Yore Yore, Neighborhood Rabbi, Moshav Rabbi, Regional Rabbi, and City Rabbi.
The women who took the rabbinate exams are Yaara Widman-Samuel, 36, from Ein Hantziv, Ruth Agiv, 44, from Melshem, and Rachel Tzaban.
Degel Hatorah chairman, MK Moshe Gafni, criticized the Chief Rabbinate - and attacked the High Court of Justice: "One must act according to Torah law and it is forbidden to uphold court rulings that are contrary to Halacha.".
On Shabbat evening, a special meeting was held at the residence of the Gaon Rabbi Avraham Salim, shlit"a, Rosh Yeshiva "Maor Hatorah" and member of the Shas "Moetset", with the participation of the Chief Rabbi Yosef, the Haredi Cohen, Rosh Yeshiva Hebron, the Gaon Rabbi Yaakov Shrabani, one of the Rosh Yeshiva Maor Hatorah, and Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri - this was part of the struggle "to strengthen the spirit of the pure outlook in the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.".
""The rabbis strengthened the hands of the Chief Rabbinate in its position of vigilance against foreign, unacceptable spirits, and agreed on a series of important decisions to strengthen the world of Torah and Judaism," his office said.
