Chief Rabbinate of Israel facts for kids
The Chief Rabbinate of Israel (Hebrew: הָרַבָּנוּת הָרָאשִׁית לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, Ha-Rabbanut Ha-Rashit Li-Yisra'el) is the main Jewish religious authority in Israel. It is recognized by law as the highest rabbinic body for Judaism in the country. The Chief Rabbinate Council works with two Chief Rabbis, who take turns leading the council. This body has the power to organize religious matters for Jewish people in Israel. It also answers religious questions from Jewish groups around the world. The Council guides and oversees other religious agencies under its authority.
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The Chief Rabbinate of Israel has two Chief Rabbis: one Ashkenazi rabbi and one Sephardi rabbi. The Sephardi Chief Rabbi is also known as the Rishon leZion. These Chief Rabbis are elected for 10-year terms. Currently, the Sephardi Chief Rabbi is Yitzhak Yosef, and the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi is David Lau. Both started their terms in 2013.
The Rabbinate's main office is in the Beit Yahav building, at 80 Yirmiyahu Street in Jerusalem. The building where it used to be, called Heichal Shlomo, has been a museum since 1992.
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What the Chief Rabbinate Does
The Rabbinate oversees many parts of Jewish life in Israel. This includes personal matters like Jewish marriages and Jewish divorce, as well as Jewish burials. It also handles conversion to Judaism, kosher laws, and giving out kosher certification. The Rabbinate works with Jewish immigrants to Israel (olim), supervises Jewish holy sites, and oversees ritual baths (mikvaot) and yeshivas. It also supervises Rabbinical courts in Israel.
The Rabbinical courts are a part of Israel's legal system. They are managed by the Ministry of Religious Services. These courts have full power over marriage and divorce for Jewish people. They also share power with district courts on matters like child support, custody, and inheritance. Decisions made by religious courts are carried out and enforced by the police and other government agencies, just like civil court decisions.
History of the Rabbinate
In Israel, religious and personal matters are decided by the religious leaders of different communities. This system comes from the Millet system used in the Ottoman Empire. This system allowed different religious groups to manage their own affairs.
In the early 17th century, the title of Rishon LeZion was given to the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem. Later, during the time of the British Mandate of Palestine, the British government created the Orthodox Rabbinate. This body included the Rishon LeZion and an Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi. The British recognized this group as the main religious authority for the Jewish community. In 1921, Abraham Isaac Kook became the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi, and Jacob Meir became the Sephardi Chief Rabbi.
In 1947, before Israel became a state, David Ben-Gurion and religious leaders agreed that religious authorities would continue to handle personal matters for Jews. This agreement is known as the "status quo agreement." It has been kept even with many changes in government since then.
In 1953, rabbinical courts were officially set up. They were given power over marriages and divorces for all Jews in Israel. It was also decided that Jewish marriages and divorces in Israel would follow the laws of the Torah. Since 1953, the Rabbinate has only approved religious marriages in Israel that follow the Orthodox Jewish laws (halakha). However, marriages that happen in other countries are still recognized in Israel.
Conversions to Judaism
The Chief Rabbinate is the only authority in Israel allowed to perform conversions to Judaism. In the past, this process was often done with care and understanding of Jewish traditions. However, in recent years, the process has become stricter. Some rabbis believe this strictness is a problem for the future of the Jewish people.
There has been some disagreement about how the Chief Rabbis handle conversions. It was found that they kept a secret list of rabbis whose conversions they would not recognize. This caused problems because some well-respected Orthodox rabbis were on this list. While this list did not stop people from making aliyah (moving to Israel), it did affect their ability to get married in Israel.
Some groups, like the rabbis of Tzohar, are trying to offer other ways for people to convert. They want to make the process easier and more welcoming. The Supreme Court has even said that conversions done by Tzohar should be accepted.
There are also other efforts within the Orthodox Jewish world to perform conversions outside the Rabbinate. These efforts aim to return to a more flexible approach, similar to earlier Chief Rabbis. This is partly to help the many Israelis from the former Soviet Union who are not recognized as Jewish by the Rabbinate.
In March 2019, it was confirmed that the Chief Rabbinate was using DNA testing to decide if someone was Jewish. Many religious groups were upset by this, saying it goes against Jewish law.
Jewish Marriages in Israel
Only religious marriages are recognized for Jewish people in Israel. This means the Chief Rabbinate controls all Jewish marriages. They also have the power to decide if someone is Jewish, which can affect their ability to get married legally in Israel. The Rabbinate and local religious councils are the only ones who can register rabbis to perform weddings. This gives them a lot of control.
Because of this system, many Jewish people who have moved to Israel are not allowed to marry there. This forces them to travel to other countries to get married. However, Israel does have a legal system for civil unions. These unions have the same legal standing as marriage. This means someone who marries outside the Rabbinate can still have their union recognized by the state. This system is also used for same-sex unions, even though same-sex marriage is not legal in Israel.
Some people and groups perform marriages outside the Rabbinate's system. For example, Chuck Davidson has performed many such marriages. He works with Hashgacha Pratit, another group that challenges the Rabbinate's control over weddings and kosher food.
Other groups, like Itim and Tzohar, work within the Rabbinate's rules but try to make the process smoother for people. Since the Rabbinate is connected to Orthodox Judaism, rabbis from Reform or Conservative Jewish movements cannot legally perform weddings in Israel.
Rabbinic Ordination (Semikhah)
The Chief Rabbinate grants semikhah, which is [[Rabbi|rabbinic ordination]]. To get this, a candidate must pass six written tests on specific subjects. These subjects always include Shabbat, Kashrut, and Family purity. The title given is Yoreh Yoreh, which means the person is qualified to be a "Rabbi of the Neighborhood."
There are also higher levels of ordination for:
- "Rav Moshav" (Rabbi of a settlement)
- "Rav Ezori" (Rabbi of an area)
- "Rav Ir" (Chief Rabbi of a city)
- Dayan (a rabbinic judge who deals with money matters)
The "Rav Ir" and "Dayanut" qualifications are advanced and require first getting the Yoreh Yoreh ordination.
While many other rabbis and organizations also offer rabbinic ordination in Israel, only semikhah from the Chief Rabbinate is accepted for someone to be employed as a rabbi by the state.
