Orthodox Jewish women in Israel may now take a rabbinic exam, like men

Rabbanit Batya Kraus leads a women's study session at Matan – The Sadie Rennert Women's Institute for Torah Studies in Ra'anana. Matan is an Israeli institute dedicated to advanced Torah learning and Jewish studies for women, offering educational programs and leadership training. Ofir Berman for NPR hide caption toggle caption Ofir Berman for NPR JERUSALEM — To be officially ordained as an Orthodox rabbi in Israel, you have to pass a grueling series of exams. And you have to be a man. Now, after a years-long court battle, Israel has finally allowed women to take the official rabbinic exams. Israel's Orthodox religious authorities still refuse to officially ordain women as rabbis, and most Orthodox communities themselves are resistant to women carrying that formal title. But opening up the rabbinic tests to women could qualify them for other leadership roles, like public servant jobs in Israel running state-funded religious services. Advocates consider it a milestone in an ongoing revolution for Orthodox Judaism, expanding women's roles as scholarly experts in Jewish religious law. "Women need to be part of the world of Torah," said Dr. Ruth Agiv, a 44-year-old dentist, who was among a pioneering group of three Orthodox women who took the first of a series of rabbinic tests in April. "We should not need to be outside. …