Israeli NGO Challenges Rabbinical Authority Over Military Service and Certification Rules

The Israeli NGO Atim filed a petition with the Supreme Court on Wednesday against the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, its Examination and Certification Department, and the Ministry of Religious Services. The petition demands that the Rabbinate update its certification exam registration procedures to require candidates to prove they have regularized their military service status with the authorities. Currently, one of the main prerequisites for taking the rabbinical certification exams is completing at least three years of study at a yeshiva or kollelim. Atim argues that according to Supreme Court rulings, study years completed during periods when military service status was not regulated should not be recognized as valid for certification or related benefits. The petition highlights that passing these exams grants administrative and financial benefits, such as equivalency to an academic degree in public tenders, eligibility for government jobs, and higher salary grades. Atim contends that granting such benefits based on study during unregulated military service periods violates legal principles established by the courts. Data obtained via a freedom of information request shows the median age of exam candidates is 30, with hundreds of young people of draft age taking the exams annually. The petition follows multiple unanswered warnings sent to the Rabbinate's legal office since November. Rabbi Shaul Farber, Atim's chairman, emphasized the importance of ensuring religious institutions do not indirectly encourage draft evasion, stating that spiritual leaders must uphold the law and share the national security burden. Attorney Shaya Shlos from Atim's legal department added that public authorities cannot recognize study during unregulated military service as grounds for professional advancement or economic benefits, urging the Rabbinate to align its policies with legal requirements and equality principles.