The case of Emunah Women’s Organization against the Chief Rabbinate of Israel has come to an end and in the future, women will be eligible to take the Rabbanut exam to become certified as mashgichos kashrus without complying with demands that they first take a course in a Rabbinate approved institute. This demand is not made of males applying to take the test to become certified mashgichim.
The court ruled on the matter on erev Shabbos Parshas Kedoshim 5774. Justices Miriam Naor, Yoram Danziger and Noam Solberg ruled against the Chief Rabbinate and the Ministry of Religious Services, rejecting calls to establish special institutes to train mashgichos kashrus.
Emunah sought recognition for its training that the organization provides to prepare women to take the Chief Rabbinate exam.
A number of months ago, Chief Rabbi David Lau Shlita announced he is not opposed to women serving as mashgichos but Emunah Women officials feel that the announcement was not followed by actions towards hiring women.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
This is another case of the rabbinical bureaucracy in EY acting on the basis of petty politics and ego rather than halacha. It has been established for decades that women are fully allowed under halacha to serve as mashgichos kashruth and in most cases are more thorough and methodical than their male counterparts. When these rabbonim go home every night they rely upon a woman to supervise the kashruth of their homes. Its time for the secular courts to step in an impose a solution if the so called “Chief Rabbinate” continues to defy the court and delay implementation of the Court’s order.
Why is it that the Israeli Supreme Court again has to intervene to get the Chief Rabbinate to follow halachah?
Good news, women belong and are equipped for kitchen supervision. What is taking so long?
Big deal. The OU, OK, Star-K, Kof-K, etc have allowed Mashgichos for years, there even was a conference last year which was attended by hundreds of women who work in Kashrus. R’Moshe wrote a t’shuva on this and said it was perfectly mutar and OK.
However I am against the ruling that allows them to be certified by non-rabbanut training courses, particularly given the politics of the organization that filed the suit. Hopefully the Rabbanut can mitigate damage control and make sure only qualified institutions that train up to torah standards