Jerusalem Chief Rabbi HaGaon HaRav Aryeh Stern has clearly set his agenda, to reestablish the position of a chief rabbi in the capital after over a decade without chief rabbis. Part of Rav Stern’s agenda is improving religious services, and towards that end, he is challenging the Jerusalem Religious Council and its hashgacha services.
As part of his ongoing effort, Rabbi Stern has begun a probe of the Jerusalem Rabbinate Kashrus, and unfortunately, he is being stone-walled. He is not receiving documents and other material requested by folks in the kashrus unit. After realizing he is up against adamant refusal to cooperate and exhibit the level of transparency demanded for a hashgacha, Rabbi Stern has turned to Rishon L’Tzion HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef, involving the Chief Rabbinate in his dilemma towards overhauling the capital’s Rabbanut kashrus services.
In his letter to Rav Yosef, Rabbi Stern explains that persons entered his office without authorization and took a list of mashgichim employed in the Jerusalem Rabbinate, a list that is essential for the rav as the being responsible for the city’s kashrus system. The rav explains that once he uncovered a number of unacceptable practices, there has been a lack of cooperation and he is asking for the Chief Rabbinate’s immediate intervention to avoid having to announce he is no longer assuming responsibility for the city’s kashrus. The rav also sent a similar letter to Minister of Religious Affairs (Shas) David Azoulai.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
This is a terrible state of affairs. Is there a way to mobilize support from the frum community in Yerushalayim?
chanapsych: I wish. The problem is, it’s all about politics/power and money.
Is there any wonder that the people and businesses having to deal with all of this are fighting back, especially in the area of Kashrus certifications and marriages.
It’s a tremendous Chillul Hashem and it drives people away from Torah. What’s just as bad is all the people that choose sides based on the groups they think they have an affinity towards and what’s right and best for Klal Yisroel is not a factor. That enables these problems to continue.
As I write this, yours is the only comment so far, but wait for the rest and you’ll see what I mean. The excuses and justifications are sure to follow.
The frum community relies on other hechsherim. What happens in the Rabbanut is not of great interest to them, other than to gloat and say: see! It is the foreign “haredim” who eat anything in Yerushalayim who should be the ones exerting pressure.
hershel2626: If the Rabbanut means nothing to Chareidim, why do they fight to control it? (Rhetorical question. The answer is obvious)