Orthodox Judaism is making space for women’s religious leadership – even without traditional ordination
In recent years, the landscape of Orthodox Judaism has begun to shift dramatically, particularly regarding women’s roles in religious leadership and education. Traditionally, the term “rabbi” has been associated with male figures leading congregations, but this perception is evolving as Orthodox women increasingly take on roles that challenge historical gender norms. While liberal denominations have long permitted female ordination, Orthodox Judaism has remained resistant to this change. However, a landmark decision by Israel’s High Court of Justice in July 2025 mandated that women must be allowed to take the Rabbinate’s exams on Jewish law, paving the way for women to apply for religious authority roles in the public sector. Although the chief rabbis of Israel have appealed this ruling, the court’s refusal to reconsider signifies a significant acknowledgment of women’s educational advancements in rabbinic law.
Historically, Orthodox women have been marginalized in terms of formal Jewish education, particularly when it comes to studying the Talmud, a foundational text of Jewish law. The pioneering efforts of educators like Sarah Schenirer in the early 20th century, who established the Bais Yaakov school system, laid the groundwork for women’s education within Orthodox communities. As the demand for women’s Talmudic study grew, the 1970s saw a surge in the establishment of institutions dedicated to this cause. Today, numerous programs across the Orthodox spectrum cater to women seeking advanced studies in rabbinic texts, enabling them to assume various roles in Jewish education and leadership without necessarily pursuing traditional rabbinic ordination.
The rise of Orthodox feminist networks has been instrumental in advocating for these changes. Organizations such as Hadran, co-founded by Michelle Cohen Farber, promote Talmud study among women and exemplify the collaborative spirit of modern Orthodox feminists. The recent legal ruling not only opens doors for women in religious leadership but also validates their expertise in Talmudic education, challenging long-held beliefs about gender roles within Orthodox Judaism. As more educational programs emerge in response to the growing demand among women for rabbinic studies, a new reality is taking shape—one where Orthodox women are not only participants but also leaders in their communities, reshaping the future of Jewish religious life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnmQMei-ZKU
Orthodox Jewish women attend an event celebrating the completion of the 7 1/2-year cycle of daily study of the Talmud, the central text of Jewish law, on Jan. 5, 2020, in Jerusalem.
AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov
When people picture a rabbi, they may imagine a man standing in front of a congregation in a synagogue. But “rabbi” means much more than that. For example, a rabbi could be a teacher, a nonprofit executive for a Jewish organization or a scholar of Jewish law – and, increasingly, some of those roles are held by Orthodox women.
For decades, liberal denominations have
permitted women to be ordained
. Orthodox Judaism, however, has largely prohibited it. Yet attitudes toward women’s study of rabbinic texts is changing, leading some Orthodox leaders to conclude that women are
qualified for rabbinic jobs
.
Israel’s chief rabbis – known as the Rabbinate, and historically seen as the top authority for the country’s Orthodox institutions – do not recognize women as rabbis or permit their ordination. But a significant change came in July 2025, when Israel’s High Court of Justice determined that
women must be allowed to take the Rabbinate’s exams
about Jewish law. The chief rabbis appealed the decision, but the court
rejected their request for a retrial
in November.
These tests are required to apply for public sector jobs as any kind of Jewish religious authority in Israel: ensuring that restaurants adhere to Jewish dietary laws, for example. Passing does not make someone an ordained rabbi; ordination is conferred through private rabbis and schools, and most Orthodox communities do not recognize female rabbis. But it does allow women to apply for jobs previously available only to men and receive higher salaries for the educational jobs they have already. Most importantly, the High Court’s decision recognizes that women have achieved high levels of education in rabbinic law.
I am
a scholar of Jewish women and gender
who researches religious authority among Orthodox women. While there have always been highly educated women, the court’s ruling reflects a growing trend among Orthodox women, while also opening up professional opportunities.
From Torah to Talmud
Formed in the 19th century,
Orthodox Judaism
is oriented around a strict observance of Jewish law and commitment to traditional gender roles. The denomination contains many divisions, each one adjusting their observance of Jewish law differently in response to modernity. While boys and men have been traditionally educated in Torah and rabbinic texts, historically girls and women did not have access to any formal Jewish education.
In the early 20th century, Jewish Polish teacher Sarah Schenirer
revolutionized Orthodox girls’ education
by founding the Bais Yaakov school system, now found in many countries. The
Bais Yaakov education
focused on teaching women Torah, while maintaining women’s place within the Jewish home.
A Bais Yaakov Orthodox school for girls in what is now Bielsko-Biala, Poland, around 1938.
Collection of the Archive of the Jewish Community in Bielsko-Biala, Poland/Wikimedia Commons
,
CC BY-SA
But soon another debate arose: whether women could study Talmud.
This text
, composed between the second and seventh centuries C.E., contains the building blocks of rabbinic law. Studying the Talmud means learning the language, references and argument style of the Jewish legal system, called “halakha.”
Supporters and opponents of Talmud study for women both argued that
it would forever alter orthodoxy
. Opponents feared that if women understood Talmudic discussions, they would be interested in participating more in public religious life, upsetting the gender norms at the heart of orthodoxy.
Yet, in the 1970s, some well-known rabbis in Israel and America
invited women into Talmud study
. Since then, the number of Orthodox institutions that offer advanced Talmud study for women has grown significantly. Fifty years ago, there were only two options:
Stern College of Yeshiva University
in New York, or Michlelet Bruriah in Israel, now called
Midreshet Lindenbaum
. Today, dozens of institutions offer programs for Orthodox women who want to study rabbinic law.
The institutions where women can learn Talmud and rabbinic law span the Orthodox landscape. Many are affiliated with open or modern orthodoxy, which
have embraced changes
related to gender roles. Some cater to the
Haredi or “ultra-Orthodox” population
, and others to communities in between.
Most students who complete these programs are not seeking traditional ordination as rabbis. But the women graduate prepared for several other types of
religious leadership
, such as Jewish education, or as halakha guides for other women. Some programs prepare students to answer Jewish legal questions in particular areas, such as practices during menstruation or childbirth.
Feminist network
This growth in opportunities for Orthodox women is the result of a network of Orthodox feminists working across borders since the 1970s.
Orthodox women attend an event to celebrate the completion of a 7½-year cycle of daily Talmud study in Jerusalem on Jan. 5, 2020.
AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov
Michlelet Bruriah, for example, was founded by two American Jews who immigrated to Israel in the 1960s. Several other educational institutions developed through this network – including
Matan
,
Nishmat
and Drisha
, which are currently located in Israel.
Yeshivat Maharat
, the first Orthodox seminary to ordain women as rabbis, is in New York. Several of its teachers and students came from these Israeli institutions, and some of their donors have also supported the schools in Israel.
The lawsuit challenging the Israeli chief rabbis’ restriction on women taking the Jewish law exam
was filed
by several people involved in this network.
Rabbi Seth Farber, for example, is an American immigrant to Israel and
the founder of ITIM
, a nonprofit that advocates for Jewish religious pluralism within Israeli society. He filed the lawsuit along with his wife, Michelle Cohen Farber, another American immigrant to Israel. She uses the title “rabbanit,” which traditionally refers to someone married to a rabbi. In her case, it also refers to her own expertise in Jewish legal texts: She
co-founded Hadran
, an organization that promotes Talmud study among women.
Other petitioners include Rabbanit Avital Engelberg, an Israeli-born graduate of
Yeshivat Maharat
who directs the seminary’s Israeli branch.
Impact
Women’s training allows them to enter a variety of fields. Opportunities for Orthodox women’s religious leadership is growing,
and it’s not all about ordination
. “Yoatzot halacha,” for example, counsel other women about issues related to marriage, sex and reproduction.
More broadly, these programs – and the Israeli court’s decision – validate women’s religious leadership. For decades, many Orthodox Jews have looked to Israel’s Orthodox rabbinate as the arbiter of religious authenticity. The ruling forces Orthodox Judaism worldwide to recognize that women can achieve high levels of Talmudic education.
Finally, the proliferation of educational programs reflects – and creates – a need within orthodoxy. It is not just a small cadre of women seeking these opportunities.
Programs continue to open
because there is a demand among Orthodox women for the chance to study rabbinic texts. As more institutions create programs for women, they are creating a new reality: one where Orthodox women are religious leaders.
Michal Raucher received funding from the Israel Institute, the University of Cincinnati, and the Hadassah Brandeis Institute to conduct research related to this article.
