For the first time in Israel’s history, women took the Chief Rabbinate’s certification test last week. Should they pass, these women will be recognized by the body as qualified Kosher inspectors. Nine women took the exam on Wednesday, in a room separate from the 200 men sitting at the same time in Jerusalem’s International Center.
The historic occasion was the culmination of a year-long struggle spearheaded by the Emunah Women organization. The group petitioned Israel’s high court to allow women to sit for the exam, which tests a candidate’s knowledge in Jewish law. Emunah offers women a training course in Kosher certification and wanted its graduates to be certified to practice in the country.
Some three months ago, another group of women joined the call, stating they did not want to be certified as Rabbis, something generally not accepted by the Orthodox community, but wished to have their educational accomplishments recognized and be allowed to fill roles that are open to both genders. Their request was denied.
When new Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau came to power last year, he was asked by the court to take a position on the matter. He agreed that there was no halachic (Jewish legal) barrier to women being tested. In fact, he noted that the Talmud accepts a woman’s testimony on Kosher matters. In light of his statement, and despite ongoing internal opposition, the Rabbinate moved to change the criteria for taking the test, cancelling some of the prerequisites, such as Yeshiva study, that were not strictly necessary and would otherwise prevent women from participating.
According to one woman who took the test, the female candidates came from a variety of backgrounds. She noted also that the test administrators were friendly and helpful, offering no obstacles or discouragement despite the previous battle. She said that as far as she could tell, both the men and women were given the same test.
The Orthodox community has come under fire in recent generations for its reluctance to redefine gender roles in the face of modern feminism and values of equality. Because Jewish law differentiates between men and women, Orthodoxy is often seen as sexist and discriminatory.
Some communities have found creative ways to include women in public religious life without undermining their commitment to Jewish law, such as instituting synagogue policy requiring the congregation to wait for a quorum of 10 men and 10 women before beginning prayers (only 10 men are required by Jewish law). Other communities have moved in the opposite direction, strengthening tradition by emphasizing the separations between men and women, even when not strictly required.
“There is no doubt that our achievement carries a historical meaning,” said Emunah Chairwoman Liora Minka. “We opened a window, and through it thousands of observant women will find respectable and important employment in the coming years. This was a required move, and it’s a shame that we had to wage a public and legal battle in order to reach this very natural and obvious outcome.”
It should be noted that notwithstanding the lack of official recognition until now, several women have been employed by private Kosher certifying bodies as supervisors for quite some time.
