The organization ITIM has called on the Chief Rabbinate to guarantee equal conditions for women taking upcoming certification exams, raising concerns over the planned separation of testing venues in Jerusalem. The exam session is scheduled to begin in less than a month.

This demand follows the historic first sitting for women in April, when three female candidates took the exam on the laws of mourning several hours after the men began their tests. According to ITIM, the women were placed in a different location— the Religious Services Ministry— while men took the exam at the Jerusalem International Convention Center. Women reportedly lacked access to professional staff during the exam, and their completed test booklets were stored in a box labeled “women’s classroom,” raising fears that anonymity could be compromised during grading.

In a letter sent to the Chief Rabbinate last Thursday, ITIM outlined several specific requests. These include ensuring that exams for women start and finish concurrently with those for men, anonymous grading of all test papers, and holding the tests under identical physical conditions. The organization also called for qualified staff to be available to answer questions during the exam, protection from outside disturbances, and clear accommodations for pregnant and nursing women, as well as reservists and reservists’ spouses.

The Chief Rabbinate had recently announced that exams would be conducted at two different venues: the Jerusalem International Convention Center and the Religious Services Ministry. However, the assignment of candidates to each site has not been publicly clarified. ITIM expressed concern that, based on the previous exam session, men would likely be assigned to the convention center while women would be directed to the ministry, a division the organization argued amounts to improper exclusion. ITIM has urged the rabbinate to demonstrate that such an arrangement will not result in inferior conditions for female candidates.

ITIM first sought clarification from the Chief Rabbinate on August 3 regarding the exam venues, procedures, and accommodations but received no response. A reminder was sent on September 8, also unanswered. The latest letter demands a detailed reply “as soon as possible” and warns that legal action may follow if the rabbinate fails to provide adequate assurances.

This dispute is the latest development in a longstanding struggle dating back to 2018, when six female Torah scholars sought to register for the rabbinate’s certification exams but were initially rejected. The rabbinate’s refusal to ordain women was accompanied by a policy of barring them from state-administered exams essential for religious legal certification. Following petitions to the High Court of Justice filed by the candidates along with ITIM and other advocacy groups, the court ruled in July 2025 that women could not be excluded from sitting the exams. The court emphasized that its decision concerned access to the examination system, not the question of ordination itself.

The rabbinate’s certificates have practical implications, including eligibility for certain public-sector roles and influence on salary scales, often treated in some cases as equivalent to academic degrees. For some religious studies teachers, certification can also lead to increased pay. The court also dismissed a proposal for a separate women’s exam track, finding that it would not grant truly equal recognition.

While women have been permitted to register since February, concerns remain over the fairness of exam conditions. ITIM’s attorney Timna Guttel expressed hope that the Chief Rabbinate would ensure “fair and equal examination conditions,” while founder Rabbi Seth Farber highlighted the urgency of resolving outstanding questions about accommodations and procedures before the next exam session.