The sweeping changes in the status of women in the modern era have exacerbated the gap between the concept of equality that prevails in Israeli society and women’s status in rabbinical courts . According to the ancient halakhah , women may be litigants ( plaintiffs and defendants ) but may not be called as witnesses or serve as judges . Over time , these halakhic principles have been modified somewhat , but there remains a large gap between the norms of general society regarding the status of women and the options available to them , on the one hand , and the reigning halakhic standards , on the other . Considering the situation today in the secular courts where women serve as judges , the absence of female judges in rabbinical courts is all the more conspicuous . This policy paper reviews the ways in which halakhic authorities have expanded women’s participation in the judicial process over the years , finds a correlation between the halakhic adjustments instituted and changes in the ...
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