Last November, the Minister of Religious Affairs, Matan Kahana, published the outline of those in charge of a comprehensive reform of the religious councils. As part of the reform, Minister Kahana extended the tenure of about 90 chairmen of the religious councils, and a tender was opened at the Ministry of Religious Affairs to apply for the position of religious council official according to professional criteria.
In recent days, Minister Kahana has begun appointing the chairmen of the religious councils. Last Tuesday, Rivka Azriel was appointed chair of the religious council in Binyamina. Azriel is expected to be joined by more women as head of a religious council, because about a quarter of the 200 or so candidates who have applied for the tender are women.
Rivka Azriel, is the first ultra-Orthodox woman ever appointed by the Minister of Religious Affairs to head a religious council. The Ministry of Religious Affairs says that Azriel has many years of experience in public educational work, during which he led teams in a wide range of religious education in the country. For the past year, she has served as a signature legacy at the Raanana Religious Council. Azriel holds a master’s degree in business administration and is a resident of the city of Jerusalem and the mother of five children.
Kahana: “I am very proud of Mrs. Rivka Azriel”
The Ministry of Religious Affairs emphasizes that there are two ways to appoint a religious council chairman: the composition and a commissioner. The composition – Election by a body that elects the chairman of the religious council. Supervisor – The Minister of Religions appoints the chair of the religious council. To date, three women have been elected to serve as chair of a religious council. As a supervisor this is the first time ever.
In addition to chairing a religious council, the Ministry of Religious Affairs notes with satisfaction that in the ultra-Orthodox local authorities in Rechasim and Kiryat Ya’arim, women were elected to the religious council and their selection was approved by the ultra-Orthodox rabbis.
The Minister of Religious Affairs, Matan Kahana, congratulated and wished Rebecca Azriel success: “I am very proud of Mrs. Rebecca Azriel for being the first woman to head a religious council, and I wish her great success. There is a lot to give to religious services. “