Kosher women • Will 'Emunah' women be able to pass examinations in the rabbinate?

Exclusion of women storm winds which hit Israel a year ago - has already passed, but not before it left its mark on the ultra-Orthodox - secular relations. The haredi community defended and argued that there is no exclusion for women in this sector and that segregation on buses is designed as a total advantage.

It is interesting to see how those self-appointed defenders will react to the impending new affair, which threatens to reawaken the issue and bring it up to the headlines.

'Emunah', an organization whose concern is for promoting the interests of women in the religious sector, recently had a new initiative - training course for the role of women as Kashrut supervisors. The curriculum is customized according to provisions and guidelines of the Chief Rabbinate and the end of the course - an external examination is held by the chief rabbinate.

B'Chadrei Charedim heard through the grapevine that a few months ago there was a board meeting on where disagreements were whether to approve the exam for female students or not. Chief Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar, claimed that there is no religious reason women should not be examinated, while Rabbi Avraham Yosef, the rabbi of Holon, expressed the firm opinion - that he was opposed to women being used as Kashrut supervisors.

The one who leads the course for women is Miriam Goldfischer, another breakthrough in the field - the field of the rabbinical court advocates. Goldfischer previously turned to Rabbi Avraham Shapira zt"l with a question on the subject, and the latter stated: "Women can be kashrut supervisors."

During the past year, Emunah turned a few times to the Chief Rabbinate to recognize the course for women. The Rabbinate replied that it has not yet made a decision on the matter. But as stated, Rabbi Avraham Yosef was one of those who opposed to it, "the debate is not purely halachic," he said.

Either way, it is not clear when the final decision on the matter will be made, and may well be the next chief rabbi will have to decide the issue. But at Emunah there have been those who declare that if women will not be able to take the course - they will be forced to submit to the High Court.

Chief Rabbinate of Israel's response: "As of now, there was no decision that does not allow women to serve as a kashrut supervisor. Emunah organization, which is trying to send the women to learn the trade and assuming they get clearance to take the exam, fooled them. We expect the organization to wait patiently until a halachic and administrative decision is made on the matter.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!