Safed Rabbinical Court may close this fall despite strong local demand

Safed's Rabbinical Court is slated for potential closure this fall, a move that has sparked opposition despite claims of promoting economic and operational efficiency. The Finance Ministry is advancing a plan to merge the Safed court with its counterpart in Tiberias. This decision comes despite assurances from Sephardic Chief Rabbi David Yosef, who visited the Safed court weeks prior and promised it would not close.

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The matter is currently under discussion with the Government Housing Administration.

The Rabbinical Courts Administration has stated it is exerting all efforts to prevent the closure, noting that the matter is under discussion with the Government Housing Administration. The administration also indicated that the Finance Ministry's statement about the administration requesting the merger was not entirely accurate, and that the ministry is now reviewing a new request to keep the Safed court open.

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Following a request by the Rabbinical Courts Administration to merge the courts in Safed and Tiberias to improve economic and operational efficiency, the Government Housing Administration took steps to implement the request.

Israel's rabbinical courts hold jurisdiction over marriage and divorce for the country's Jewish population. The Safed court is one of twelve nationwide and serves a significant population across the Galilee and Golan Heights. Its closure would necessitate litigants traveling to Tiberias for their legal proceedings, adding considerable inconvenience.

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A new request was recently submitted to examine the possibility of keeping the Safed court open. It is currently being reviewed by the relevant officials in the Government Housing Administration and the Rabbinical Courts Administration.