Will the Chief Rabbinate keep its monopoly on kosher certification?

Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Jewish world and real estate correspondent Zev Stub joins host Gabriella Jacobs for today’s episode.

We begin our conversation by diving into the Maccabiah Games, which are being held at venues across Israel through July 13. Zev Stub explains how, after last year's Maccabiah was postponed because of Israel's June 2025 war with Iran, the opening of the two-week competition carried an added sense of symbolism and significance.

We then examine Stub's reporting on the Israeli Chief Rabbinate's apparent decision on Thursday to authorize the liberal Tzohar Rabbinical Organization to issue kashrut certifications under Israeli law for the first time, following a High Court of Justice ruling last month requiring it to withdraw its refusal to recognize the group. Within hours, however, the decision was thrown into doubt, with senior officials saying the approval had not been properly authorized and therefore had no legal standing. Stub walks us through the competing claims and the possible outcomes.

In the second half of our discussion, Stub delivers a real estate snapshot of current trends in Israel's housing market. We analyze how the strong shekel, fluctuating interest rates and rising antisemitism worldwide are shaping buyer behavior.

To close, Stub takes us inside "Bat Sheba's Palace," a Caesarea property listed for an asking price of $210 million. With gold-plated fountains, imported stone and nearly 74,000 square feet (6,900 square meters) of interior space, the Versailles-inspired estate embodies a level of luxury once unimaginable in the Jewish state.

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