Reform and Conservative rabbis serving in Israeli cities and towns will for the first time be eligible for state-funded salaries. Until now, only non-Orthodox rabbis based in outlying regional councils qualified.

Their salaries will be paid by the Culture and Sports Ministry. In contrast, Orthodox rabbis in Israel have their salaries paid by the Religious Services Ministry. The call for applications to receive state funding, issued about two months ago, avoids using the term “rabbi” to refer to the spiritual leaders of non-Orthodox congregations; rather, it calls them “community leaders.” It also doesn’t use the designations “Conservative” and “Reform,” referring to them instead as “renewed communities.”