Rabbi Yaakov Ariel Shlita has announced that if the Stern Bill is passed, he will drop out of the race. The bill authored by MK (The Movement) Elazar Stern seeks to increase the size of the voting body, increasing it from 150 at present to 200 eligible voters towards bringing women on board as well as seeking to dilute Shas’ control over the voting body. There are other clauses to the bill as well, but for the purpose of Rav Ariel’s announcement it refers to expanding the size of the voting body.
The rav made his announcement at an urgent Jerusalem kenos addressing the upcoming election for chief rabbis, seeking to pressure Bayit Yehudi party leader Minister Naftali Bennett into opposing the Stern Bill, which supporters of Rav Ariel view as a bill that also strengthens the candidacy of Rabbi David Stav. Bennett however personally supports the bill as well as Rav Stav’s candidacy. He is under mounting pressure from leading dati leumi rabbonim to change his position.
Backing Rabbi Ariel’s declaration to drop out of the race based on the Stern Bill are Rabbi Dov Lior Shlita, Rabbi Elyakim Levanon Shlita and Rabbi Mordechai Sternberg Shlita. Their declaration states if the voting body is expanded, they will call on rabbonim throughout the country to boycott the election.
Petach Tikvah Chief Rabbi Micha Levy, who addressed the kenos, called on all present to commit to boycotting the election as a voter and/or candidate if the Stern Bill passes. Other rabbonim present called on politicians to distance themselves from matters pertaining to the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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6 Responses
Totally mind boggling the entire chapter of elections of Chief Rabbis. There was quite a bit of behind the back haggling at other election ventures, except the public was not aware..
This is just another illustration of the political games being played by a small group of rabbonim who oppose any changes to the status quo where such changes have nothing to do with halacha. Its all about power and their refusal to acknowledge the need for a more open and transparent process for selecting the so called “Chief Rabbi” who is more of a bureaucrat with the ability to dictate patronage and funding. Having women involved in selecting from among qualified bureaucrats (all of whom will still be men with semicha)will assure that anyone sleected will have shown awareness of womens’ concerns and those who have a track record of having ignored such concerns will not be appointed to a position with such a powerful role over womens’ lives.
#2-
Are there any “women’s concerns” which are not halacha issues? Should someone be elected who allows having a good “track record” for women influence his psak halacha?
In my opinion, anyone who thinks that such “track records” should determine the election should not be allowed to vote. And that’s the point of the boycott.
Remember, at least one of the chief rabbis is the head to the Beis Din Hagodol, not just a “burearcrat”.
Israeli politics can be alot of fun — if you don’t take it too seriously.
The election for Chief Rabbi is as much a political event as the elections for the Knesset.
Gadolhadorah- What you are saying is simply not true. Rabbis Amar, Eliyahu, and Yosef served as bureaucrats? They were the leaders of Sephardi Jewry. This law will kill the Rabbinate, period. The biggest losers will be the non-religious who will have issues of yichus that religious Jews will not have a reliable place to turn to for vetting.
No matter who’s elected, whether it’s Rav Stav or Rav Ariel, it will be a vast improvement over the present Chief Rabbi, who is a disgrace to the job, and was placed there to be a puppet of haredi askanim.