Rabbinical Council of Victoria


The Rabbinical Council of Victoria is a body representing the state's Orthodox rabbis established in 1967. Their main focus is "to foster positive relations with leaders of other communities and to enhance community participation among members of the Jewish community." They also have an oversight role over the Melbourne Beth Din.
They have made statements that has courted controversy in the community and has led to a diminishing of their standing. These statements include trying to gain exclusive rights to the word kosher, opposing same sex marriage, and the Open Orthodox movement. The Australian marriage equality survey created a split in the organisation after a group of rabbis distanced themselves from a statement directing Jews to vote No.
They were also criticised for their slow response to the child sex abuse that occurred in a number of their institutions. They eventually did respond, and a number of their members were forced to resign over their implication in the scandal after it was brought to light in the royal commission into institutional sex abuse.

Notable members