After several years of legal wrangling, Israel's chief rabbinate has opened registration for rabbinical exams to women.
The rabbinate was ordered to accept women for the first time in its history in a landmark Supreme Court ruling last July.
And it has now confirmed the opening of registrations in the Hebrew month of Iyar, between April and May in the Gregorian calendar.
It did not explicitly mention women in its statement confirming the dates of the sign-up process, but, when asked by the Times of Israel, a spokesperson clarified that women would be allowed to apply "as the High Court ruled".
The Supreme Court case was brought in 2019 by a group of petitioners looking to open the way for women to be formally ordained as rabbis.
The rabbinate offers a range of tests across areas including kashrut, family law and shabbat procedures.
Candidates are required to pass six exams to be registered as a "neighbourhood rabbi" or 11 to gain the title of "city rabbi".
It can also grant other certifications including the Yoreh Yoreh (translating to "he can teach), which can be seen as an equivalent to a university degree in some employment contexts.
Rabbanit Sarah Segal-Katz, one of the petitioners in the case, said: "I’m really excited."
She brought the case as, despite being an ordained Orthodox rabbi in New York, she was unable to apply for a role as a mikvah supervisor in Jerusalem as she had not past the required three tests, which were not open to applications from women.
"The first test I will take is going to be niddah because I think it is very important at the symbolic level," she told the Times of Israel.
"We are talking about halachot that deal with the woman’s body, and we have not been allowed to take the exam."
ITIM, a non-profit Jewish group that advocates for religious rights, called the change a “historic event”.
Rabbi Dr Seth Farber, ITIM’s chair, said: “We welcome the Chief Rabbinate’s decision to honor the ruling of the High Court of Justice and to open the halachic examinations to women.
"This is an important and meaningful step that strengthens public trust in religious institutions and reflects a commitment to equality within the framework of halacha and the law.
"We hope that the registration and examination process will proceed smoothly, professionally, and respectfully, so that every candidate may fulfill her aspirations in Torah study and certification.
"This is a development that is good for Torah, good for Israeli society, and good for the future of Jewish life in Israel.”
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