Dozens of avreichim were tested last month in Marseilles, France, for the rabbinical ordination exams, according to the Chief Rabbinate of Israel pamphlet released in honor of Tu B’Shevat. This is a pilot that was conducted for the first time among Diaspora Jews, “in light of the recognition in Israel and abroad of the Rabbinical and Dayanus Accreditation Certificates given by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.”

The pamphlet stated, “Following the request of rabbis of the Diaspora to establish infrastructures for conducting rabbinic examinations of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel abroad and in light of the personal appeal of the city’s rabbi, Rabbi Reuven Ochana to the Chief Rabbis of Israel, the Chief Rabbinate responded to his request with a preliminary pilot of rabbinic examinations abroad, in which about 20 examinees were examined from a number of kollels in Marseilles and the surrounding area in the tests of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.”

“However, in order to make it easier for hundreds of yeshiva students abroad to take the exams in Israel, and with the encouragement of the Chief Rabbis of Israel, examinations were conducted abroad and after much effort, an initial pilot was conducted to carry out the tests in France.”

The Rabbinate’s Director-General and the director of the examinations department traveled to Marseilles a few weeks ago and examined the procedure closely, noting that the exams were conducted in the same format as in Israel.

According to the rabbinate, “The pilot was defined as a great success among all those involved, and the Chief Rabbinate hopes that in light of the success of the pilot, it will now be conducted in other countries outside of Israel.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)