Rackman Center

24/05/2026

Israel's rabbinical courts are funded by public money, hold power over the personal lives of millions — yet operate with zero transparency, zero female judges, and zero accountability.

In a new op-ed in The Jerusalem Post, Rackman Center, Head Prof. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari calls out the rabbinical courts for what they are: an extra-territorial entity that the state built, funds, and keeps expanding — without demanding accountability in return.

The Rackman Center is demanding change: transparent appointments, real public oversight, and a woman appointed as Director-General of the Rabbinical Courts — not as a symbol, but as a basic requirement of any democratic institution.
Ruth Halperin-Kaddari

28/04/2026

April 27, 2026 — a historic day in Israel and the Jewish world.✨

For the first time ever, women were allowed to sit for the Chief Rabbinate certification exam.
This moment didn’t happen overnight. It came after years of legal struggle, a petition to the High Court, and a landmark ruling that made it clear: excluding women from these exams is unlawful discrimination. Despite repeated attempts to circumvent that ruling, justice prevailed.

The Rackman Center is proud to have been part of this effort.
At the same time, this milestone came with serious concerns:

• Women were forced to wait more than four hours before receiving the exam. During this delay, the Rackman Center—together with the petitioners and our partners Itim and Kolenu—filed an urgent motion.
• The exam was administered in gender segregated locations. While this may be presented as logistical, we remain clear: separate is not equal. We will continue to monitor this closely.

Even with these challenges, today marks real progress.
We are proud of the women who sat for the exam and honor their courage and determination. Their achievement is a meaningful step forward for equality and women’s rights in Israel.
Photo - Daniel Grubeis, Gal"t

15/04/2026

Last month, amid an ongoing war on multiple fronts, the Knesset voted and approved, in its second and third readings, the bill to expand the jurisdiction of rabbinical courts.

What it means: Rabbinical courts will have the authority to adjudicate civil disputes — contracts, labor relations, property — according to Jewish religious law (Halacha). At the last moment, a particularly dangerous clause was inserted: the ruling will be immediately enforceable, with no need for judicial approval and no possibility of appeal.

Who will it harm? Women, workers, and vulnerable populations. While it is officially framed as "consensual arbitration," reality shows that those in positions of economic dependence will not always be able to refuse — "consent" under such circumstances is effectively coercion. It is also important to note that women do not serve as judges in rabbinical courts.
Why is it dangerous? This creates a parallel judicial system — without transparency, without appeal, and without civilian oversight. A system that is not bound by the principles of equality and human rights.

Prof. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, Head of the Rackman Center for the Advancement of Women's Status, Faculty of Law, Bar-Ilan University: "This is a deeply ideological move that expands religious authority at the expense of civil rights, creates a parallel justice system, and harms primarily women, workers, and vulnerable populations — under the guise of 'consent' that is not truly free — and paves the way for a Halacha state."

23/02/2026

The Knesset is advancing the transformation of Israel into a Halakhic state —
The Constitution Committee approved last week a bill that would expand the authority of rabbinical courts to adjudicate civil disputes — contracts, labor relations, property, and more — according to Jewish religious law. The dangerous innovation: the ruling would be immediately enforceable, with no need for judicial approval and no possibility of appeal.
In practice, this amounts to creating a parallel religious judiciary in which women do not serve as judges, and which is not bound by the principles of equality and human rights. While officially framed as "consensual arbitration," reality shows that employees facing employers, women in situations of economic dependence, and minorities — will not always be able to refuse.
This is not a technical amendment. It is a fundamental change to the structure of the Israeli legal system.

Commentary by Prof. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, Head of the Rackman Center at the Faculty of Law, Bar-Ilan University, in Haaretz.

11/02/2026

Breakthrough: The Chief Rabbinate Opens Rabbinical Exams to Women
Following a High Court of Justice ruling, in response to a petition we filed at the Rackman Center together with Itim and Kolech on behalf of six petitioners, the Rabbinate has announced the opening of exam registration to women as well.
The High Court ruled in July 2025 that blocking women from the exams constitutes "prohibited discrimination." Now, after months of attempts to circumvent the ruling, the Rabbinate is finally opening the exams to women.
This is an important step in the struggle against the exclusion of women from leadership of the religious establishment in Israel and an achievement for the petitioners - Avital Engelberg, Shlomit Flint, Sarah Segal-Katz, Rachel Keren, Michelle Cohen Farber, and Shlomit Piamenta.

עתים - Itim קולך - פורום נשים דתיות Sarah Segal-Katz

20/01/2026

26 women were murdered in Israel during 2025, most by relatives. Yet there is not even an official definition of domestic violence, and government ministries are busy making excuses.

22 women were murdered in 2025 with fi****ms, three of them by men who held gun licenses, yet the Ministry of Welfare refuses to be a partner in the licensing process.

Three women were murdered despite restraining orders being issued against their murderer. In the past 18 months, fewer than 50 electronic monitoring orders have been issued to enforce restraining orders.

Prof. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, Head of the Rackman Center at the Faculty of Law, Bar-Ilan University, says: "The government said it has all the tools to act... but instead of proving itself, not only are they not advancing the fight against violence against women, but they are placing many obstacles, even where all parties agree on the necessary changes."

Read the full Haaretz article by Ran Shimoni and Josh Breiner here: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2026-01-15/ty-article-magazine/.premium/more-guns-more-murders-2025-was-a-deadly-year-for-israeli-women/0000019b-bcb6-d85c-a9fb-fdf7bf270000

Forty-six Women Were Murdered in Israel Last Year, Most by Relatives. Yet There Isn't Even an Official Definition of Domestic Violence, and Government Ministries Are Mainly Busy With Excuses

18/01/2026

The Dinah Project team (operating under the auspices of the Rackman Center) have been awarded the 2025 Transparency Shield, together with journalist Sima Kadmon.

The 2025 Dov Yizraeli Transparency Shield was awarded by Transparency International Israel (TISHBI) to the Dinah Project team for: "Their courageous work in exposing the truth about war crimes and s*xual violence, and their tireless efforts to clarify the testimonies and facts, and to present them to the public and international community, even in the face of skepticism, opposition, and denial. In doing so, the Project advanced the values of transparency, public accountability, and justice."

The Dinah Project members, Prof. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, retired Judge Nava Ben-Or, and Colonel (Res.) Adv. Sharon Zagagi Pinhas, have been working since October 7, 2023, for recognition and justice for the victims of Hamas's s*xual violence. In July, they published their report - "For the Sake of Truth: The Struggle for Justice - October Seventh and Beyond," - the most comprehensive legal and factual report written to date on the s*x crimes committed by Hamas terrorists on October 7 and against the hostages during their captivity, that also proposes a path for bringing them to justice. The book was edited by Itta Prinz Gibson and designed by Nurit Jacobs Yinon.

The Dinah Project operates under the auspices of the Rackman Center for the Advancement of the Status of Women at the Faculty of Law at Bar-Ilan University.
The Dinah Project Prof. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari Bar-Ilan University Transparency International

12/01/2026

I appreciated the opportunity to present The Dinah Project Dinah book to former President of the Supreme Court of Israel, Professor Aharon Barak, during his visit to our faculty seminar this week.
For me, this was a moment of personal and professional significance — with someone who encouraged me to pursue my PhD at Yale University, and under whom I completed my legal internship at the Supreme Court.

Rackman Center - מרכז רקמן הפקולטה למשפטים אוניברסיטת בר-אילן אוניברסיטת בר-אילן

05/01/2026

Following the October 7 Hamas attacks, Prof. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, founding Academic Director of The Rackman Center found herself in a crucial position — using her legal expertise and international platform to speak out against s*xual violence committed by Hamas. In response, she and her colleagues launched The Dinah Project, a global initiative aimed at documenting, raising awareness and demanding justice for the atrocities committed against Israeli women.

In her conversation with Shifra Jacobs from The Jerusalem Post she explains how international organizations refrained for 58 days from acknowledging the s*xual violence that occurred, contrary to the "believe women" principle applied elsewhere in the world. The Dinah Project collected testimonies from 17 eyewitnesses and earwitnesses, photographic documentation, and legal evidence to prove that s*xual violence - including r**e, gang r**e, and mutilation - was carried out systematically as a weapon of war.
Prof. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari also describes the deterioration in women's status in Israel under the current government, including an increase in violence against women, expansion of rabbinical court jurisdiction, and reduction of women's presence in key positions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lANXGcJ3vjg

In this powerful conversation, Shifra Jacobs sits down with Prof. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, a law professor at Bar-Ilan University, Founding Academic Director o...

18/12/2025

Israel’s Welfare Ministry now supports the advancement of the bill to define various types of abusive behavior as domestic violence. Rakefet Atzmon, Director of the Division for Families, Children and Youth in the Community at the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security, who chairs the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Combating Domestic Violence and leads government policy in this area, said in a recent media interview:

"The Ministry is currently involved in drafting a bill for the definition of domestic violence, which will be referred for further work to the Ministry of Justice to advance the process of legislation."

This is important news because the Rackman Center and Na'amat drafted a bill on this subject, and have invested years of dedicated work to bring it to legislation, together with other organizations. We are hopeful that the law in Israel will soon clearly and comprehensively define domestic violence in all its forms. This legal definition will enable victims to give a name to the abuse they endure, and to identify themselves as victims of domestic violence. It will also help the legal system and treatment providers to offer better responses and more comprehensive protection to victims.

We welcome the Welfare Ministry's support, and call on government ministers and members to take responsibility and advance the bill as soon as possible. Without a legal definition, there is no protection.