The release of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel’s ‘blacklist’ containing the names of 160 rabbis from around the world has Chief Rabbi Dovid Lau Shlita furious.

Rabbi Lau instructed Chief Rabbinate Director-General Moshe Dagan to summon and rebuke the Director of the Citizenship and Conversion Department of the Chief Rabbinate who is responsible for publishing the list.

Rabbi Lau’s assistant wrote to the director-general stating the Chief Rabbis were amazed to discover this list, which was released without their knowledge or approval.

In the letter, it is pointed out the consequences of the release of the names are quite severe, including the fact a clerk in the Chief Rabbinate may not decide which rabbis are acceptable and which are not. Secondly, the letter adds “there is no need to mention how this compromises the status of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel”.

Chief Rabbi Lau has ordered a probe to determine how this occurred and to censure those responsible for releasing the list of names. The letter is signed by a senior aide to Rabbi Lau, Rabbi Refael Frank.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)