The election for chief rabbis in the city of Petach Tikvah will hopefully result in a revival of the city’s religious services, including kashrus and other areas. For Shas, it represents yet another victory, another appointment tied to the party with the election of Rabbi Binyamin Atias, who is a brother of Shas’ Minister of Housing Ariel Atias, as the city’s new Sephardi chief rabbi, as expected. The Ashkenazi chief rabbi is a representative of the chareidi dati leumi community, affiliated with the National Religious Party, Rabbi Micha Halevy. They were elected with 37 of 48 possible votes and 36 of 48 votes respectively.

As has become increasingly commonplace there was much dispute surrounding the election and involvement of the High Court of Justice. Many feel that sadly, the position of a city’s rav is too politically tainted and a far cry from what it should be. This reality diminishes the stature of the position.

The candidates who will unsuccessful in the race for the city’s chief rabbis include Rabbi Eliezer Simcha Weiss (Rav of the Emek Hefer Regional Council), Rav Yigal Lerrer (Dayan on the Petach Tikvah Rabbinical Court), Rav Jacobowitz (Rav of the S. Sharon), Rav Ram Ravaad (retiring from the IAF), and Rav Yosef Shalush (Rav of Netanya).

Unlike the others, Rav Weiss understood the ramifications of the High Court ruling which cleared the way for the election, but left a back door open for the court to retroactively disqualify the election and the appointments if the court saw fit. Rav Weiss announced he was dropping out, unwilling to be part of such an event, where the appointment of the city’s chief rabbis is contingent on the whim of the secular High Court. Rav Weiss called on the others to follow suit and to postpone the elections, decrying the court’s interference, but his words were unheeded.

For Rabbanei Tzohar the election of Rav Halevy represents another foothold in returning the chief rabbinate to the hands of the Zionist stream, seeking to spread the organization’s influence as Tzohar continues kiruv efforts around the country. Rav Halevy is a talmid of Rav Mordechai Sternberg, who is Rosh Yeshivat Har HaMor. The rav learned in Merkaz HaRav and was a founder of the Tzohar organization and a member of Derech Emunah, a right-wing rabbinical organization which stands behind the pioneering effort in Tel Aviv that has led to the establishment of the Nachlat Yitzchak neighborhood. .

The election fills the void that was created about three years ago with the petira of the city’s chief rabbi Rav Shimon Solomon z”l. he served in the position for about three decades. During that three year period since his petira, the chief rabbi of Migdal HaEmek HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Dovid Grossman signed on kesuvos (marriage certificates) and Rav Yisrael Sharabi of Petach Tikvah signed on kashrus certificates.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)