THIS LAW: Jewish Religious Services (Consolidated Version) Law (determined by the Constitution, Legislation and Juridical Knesset Committee 7th July, 1971, and published 15th July, 1971).
ITS AMENDMENTS: (19th March, 1980 - Section 26) (14 Sep 83) (15 Jan 1985)

(No. 50)
	JEWISH RELIGIOUS SERVICES (CONSOLIDATED VERSION) LAW, 5731-1971*
Establishment of religious council.	1. The Minister of Religious Affairs may establish a religious council under the provisions of this Law (hereinafter referred to as a "council") in every local authority in which such a council does not exist.
Number of members of council.	2. The Minister of Religious Affairs shall prescribe the number of the members of the council : Provided that such number shall not exceed the number of the members of the local authority.
Proposal of candidates.	3. (a) Each of the undermentioned shall propose candidates for the council, of a number being a percentage of the prescribed number of members, as follows : (1) the Minister of Religious Affairs - 45 p. ct. ; (2) the local authority - 45 p. ct; (3) the local rabbinate - 10 p. ct. . In determining the number of candidates, a fraction amounting to one half or more shall be deemed to be a whole number. (b) Where the local authority does not propose its quota of candidates to the Minister of Religious Affairs within thirty days from the day on which his request to do so is sent to it, a further request shall be sent. If the local authority does not respond to the further request within fifteen days from the day on which it is sent, the Minister of Religious Affairs may propose the quota of candidates assigned to the local authority. These provisions shall also apply, mutatis mutandis, to the candidates of the local rabbinate.
Appraisal of candidates.	4. The three authorities referred to in section 3 shall express their opinion of the candidates with regard to their fitness to serve as members of the council and to their being properly representative of the bodies and communities (edot) interested in the maintenance of Jewish religion services (hereinafter referred to as "religious services") in the locality.
Settlement of disagreement.	5. Any disagreement between the three authorities shall be referred to the determination of a committee of Ministers whose members shall be the Minister of Religious Affairs, the Minister of Justice and the Minister of the Interior or their representatives. If a Minister appeals against the decision of the committee, the Government shall determine the matter.
Reconstitution of councils.	6. (a) The Minister of Religious Affairs shall reconstitute every council in accordance with sections 2 to 5 every four years after the 26th Elul, 5727 (1st October, 1967). (b) Notice of the new composition of the council shall be published in Reshumot. Until the date of publication, the council shall continue to hold office in its previous composition, and from that date it shall hold office in its new composition.
Powers of council.	7. A council is competent to deal with the provisions of religious services and for that purpose may enter into contracts, hold property on hire or lease and acquire immovable property, all in accordance with the items of its approved budget.
Preparation of budget.	8. Every council shall prepare a draft budget of religious services at such time and in such form as the Minister of Religious Affairs shall prescribe.
Approval of budget.	9. (a) When a draft budget has been prepared as aforesaid, the council shall submit it for approval - (1) if the locality whose inhabitants it provides with religious services is within the area of jurisdiction of a local authority, to the local authority ; (2) in every other case, to the Minister of Religious Affairs. (b) Where the council and the local authority disagree as to the draft budget submitted under section (a) (1), the Government shall determine the matter and, in accordance with its determination, approve the draft budget with or without variations.
Validity of budget.	10. When a draft budget has been approved as aforesaid, the draft shall become a valid and binding budget, and the council shall incur no expenditure whatsoever unless it is included in that budget.
Covering budgetary expenditure.	11. (a) Expenditure under a budget approved in accordance section 9 (a) (1) or (2) shall be borne - (1) by the Government to the extent of one third; (2) by the local authority to the extent of two thirds. (b) The Minister of Finance and the Minister of Religious Affairs may jointly increase the extent of participation prescribed in section 2 (a) (1) if, their opinion, special local conditions justify their doing so. (c) Expenditure under a budget approved in accordance with section 9 (a) (2) shall be borne by the Government within the framework of the Budget Law from time to time obtaining in the State.
Signing of contracts.	12. Contracts of a council shall be signed by the head of the local authority and the head of the council, but if the locality served by the council is not within the area of jurisdiction of a local authority, contracts shall be signed by the head of the council alone.
Implementation and regulations.	13. (a) The Minister of Religious Affairs is charged with the implementation of this Law and may make regulations as to any matter relating to such implementation and, inter alia, regulations as to - (1) the appointment of members to a council in place of members whose seats have fallen vacant; (2) elections of town rabbis; for this purpose, "town rabbi" means a rabbi of a locality which is a municipality or a local council (local rabbi); (3) the licensing of societies for the burial of Jews, provided that it shall be ensured that a licence is granted only to a body which has proved itself able to make the administrative and financial arrangements necessary for the discharge of its functions; for this purpose, a local authority and a council shall be regarded as bodies which have proved themselves able to make arrangements as aforesaid; (4) the establishment of Jewish cemetery councils at the request of the societies dealing with the burial of Jews in the locality or at the request of the local authority or the council, and the definition of the functions of the cemetery councils. (b) A council, a society for the burial of Jews and a Jewish cemetery council may, with the approval of the Minister of Religious Affairs and in accordance with regulations made by him for this purpose, charge fees for their services.
	YAACOV S. SHAPIRO Minister of Justice
	------------------------------- * Text determined by the Constitution, Legislation and Juridical Committee of the Knesset on the 14th Tammuz, 5731 (7th July, 1971) under section 16 of the Law and Administration Ordinance, 5708-1948, and published in Sefer Ha-Chukkim No. 628 of the 22nd Tammuz, 5731 (15th July, 1971), p. 130. This Consolidated Version takes the place of the Jewish Religious Services (Budgets) Law, 5709-1949: Sefer Ha-Chukkim of 5709, p. 150 - LSI vol. III, p. 66; Sefer Ha-Chukkim of 5710, p. 315 - LSI vol. IV, p. 185; Sefer Ha-Chukkim of 5711, p. 92 - LSI vol. V, p. 89; Sefer Ha-Chukkim of 5712, p. 143 - LSI vol. VI, p. 48; Sefer Ha-Chukkim of 5713, p. 56 - LSI vol. VII, p. 42; Sefer Ha-Chukkim of 5714, p. 82 - LSI vol. VIII, p. 69; Sefer Ha-Chukkim of 5715, p. 54 - LSI vol. IX, p. 61; Sefer Ha-Chukkim 5716, p. 49 - LSI vol. X, p. 44; Sefer Ha-Chukkim of 5718, p. 105 - LSI vol. XII, p. 124; Sefer Ha-Chukkim of 5720, p. 22 - LSI vol. XIV, p. 20; Sefer Ha-Chukkim of 5721, p. 50 - LSI vol. XV, p. 45; Sefer Ha-Chukkim of 5722, p. 75 - LSI vol. XVI, p. 66; Sefer Ha-Chukkim of 5723, p. 77 - LSI vol. XVII, p. 96, Sefer Ha-Chukkim of 5726, p. 50 - LSI vol. XX, p. 43; Sefer Ha-Chukkim of 5727, p. 43 - LSI vol. XXI, p. 40.

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THIS LAW: Jewish Religious Services (Consolidated Version) Law (determined by the Constitution, Legislation and Juridical Knesset Committee 7th July, 1971, and published 15th July, 1971).
ITS AMENDMENTS: (19th March, 1980 - Section 26) (14 Sep 83) (15 Jan 1985)

SOURCE: "Laws of the State of Israel: Authorized Translation from the Hebrew, Volume 25". Government Printer, Jerusalem, Israel (1948-1987), pp. 125-7.

(C) Israel Law Resource Center, February, 2007.