The Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) on Monday, 9 Tammuz 5773 released a letter of support for Rabbi David Stav, rav of the community of Shoham, head of the Tzohar Rabbonim and candidate to become the next Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel.
The RCA support follows a scathing attack against Rav Stav by Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita, which has lead to significant controversy in Eretz Yisrael surrounding the Chief Rabbinate race.
The RCA comes to Rav Stav’s defense regarding the assaults against him and the letter is not an endorsement for his candidacy for Chief Rabbi of Israel.
See the attached letter released by the RCA.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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30 Responses
Keep adding fuel to the fire that is destroying our nation… The “kosher” media ought to do a better job of curtailing the ripple effect of this troubling matter.
Who is the RCA
who do they represent
The RCA, which includes Avi Weiss and his ilk among their “esteemed” members, is a discredited body.
a few of the problems with Rav Stav is that he does not dress as the others desire and that he probably won’t be helpful in slushing money to the favorite organizations of those opposed to him.
No one speaks of his qualifications. Is he learned? etc…
Wow. A letter full of Chutzpa.
If they’re trying to show how nice and polite Rabbonim should be, why didn’t they nicely show support, and everyone would understand that they don’t appreciate R’ Ovadia Yosef’s words… but no, they had to be ‘mevazeh’ a Gadol B’yisroel…
טול קורה מבין עיניך
I’m not sticking my head in – they could at least have given Rav Ovadia as many titles as Rav Stav…
Ujm: avi Wiess is not part of the rca you must be thinking of the Amcha organization. Think before you insult
heh heh heh
The RCA. Least relevant organization since the Green Party.
#2- The RCA is the largest organization of orthodox rabbis in the US with thousands of members who represent hundreds of thousands of orthodox American Jews.
The chutzpah of these people!!! How dare they refer to Rav Ovadyah like that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
The RCA is the largest organization of orthodox rabbis in the US.
How exactly is this not fanning flames of Machlokes? Anything for a buck?
WOW!!
Did anybody else notice how the RCA’s letter slams one of the Gedolei Hador, saying on him “Zu Torah V’zu Lomdeha” and “Oy L’ploini Shelamad Torah” etc.
Pretty harsh words for an organization to use against someone who knows more Torah than the entire RCA put together!
Exactly lazerc. Follow the money. Rav Stav is the head of Tzohar, whose rabbonim serve a wide spectrum of Israelis who have been alienated by the Rabbanut, and they don’t charge for their servisces. Maybe that is what the Chacham meant by “ruining the rabbanut”.
No-one of us is big enough to stick our heads into this confrontation, just like 20 years ago no-one of us was big enough to stick our heads into the confrontation between Rav Schach ZT’L & the Lubavitche Rebbe Zt’L.
Ein Chodosh Tachas haShomesh.
Is the RCA a MO organization?
Is it true that they invited Dov Lipman as a keynote speaker? If so it gives it all out.
Living UN an insular Hasidic world, me and my friends used to think of the MO as highly intelligent respectful individuals. Now, the more I get to know them, I see them, as a bunch of arrogant individuals who believe that the Ultra-Orthodox world ought to follow their way of living, and they would support action to support that (example: MPB, Imposing secular education in Israel ).
And know just a thought, can anyone tell me the difference between the first Reform Jews 200 ago, and todays Modern Orthodox? if Orthodoxy means tradition and mesorah, how can it work with the word “modern”? do the call themselves modern? or it’s just a name others had labeled them.
One of the biggest problems in put generation is that us the little people think we know better than out gedolim. Sometimes we may not understand why they may make certain statements but we need to have emunas chachamim and listen. This is what Ha-Shem expects from us. Harvard ovadia Yosef is one of the gedolim of our generation. Situation in Israel is currently very complicated which means we really have to ONLY follow the words of our gedolim.
#16, Orthodox does not mean tradition or mesorah, it means the right one.
Avi Weiss is a member of the RCA. He wanted to be a member and they accepted Mr. Weiss as a rabbinical member.
’nuff said.
#3 Avi Weiss is not a member of the RCA. The RCA actualy issued a public statement against Avi Weiss ordaining ladies as clergy. It is posted on their website in case you care to read it.
Did the RCA call Rav Ovadias office to find out the basis of his accusations before they concluded with their letter of accusation and support????
Not that I am such a big fan of Rav Ovadia but I know who the RCA really are…..
Imagine if Yeshiva World News would stop publishing all the inflammatory articles on the “race” to be the next Chief Rabbi of Israel. In would benefit all Klal Yisroel for them to stop fanning the flames of Machlokes! This is NY Post caliber writing as they denigrate Rabbonim, and create Machlokes, as they “report” on the news. Higher caliber writing by a more thoughtful group would never succumb to this.
#8- ‘Least relevant’ to whom? The world extends beyond the borders of Williamsburg.
Mr. Avi Weiss is an official and accepted rabbinical dues paying member of the RCA.
Has been for decades and is still today.
RE Avi Weiss.
He is an RCA member, from they day before he started YCT and a rival rabbinic organization.
The RCA refuses to throw him out as they know he raises millions the day they throw him out.
You dont have to agree with the RCA’s haskafas but they are a main stream orthodox organization.
So the RCA has a Reform religion member (Avi Weiss) as a member who they refuse to expel.
Gotcha.
Clearly the RCA holds Mr. Avi Weiss in higher esteem than Maran Chacham HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef shlit”a.
#18
So why don’t the Reform call themselves Orthodox?
I think they believe that they are right, or else why would they be reformist.
The RCA is the Rabbinic Leadership for hundreds of thousands of US Modern Orthosox Jews. How can you expect anyone to respect your Gedolim if you don’t respect anyone else’s view. If you are not willing to accept Modern Orthodoxy as a legitimate expression of Yiddishkeit, how dare you expect them or anyone else to come in the defense of Chareidim.
On another point, Orthodoxy does not mesorah and tradition, it means acceptance of Halacha and Shulchan Aruch as the decisive factors.
Do you believe that Rav Ovadia Yosef and the Satmar Rebbes share any traditions? Which one would you call not Orthodox. Rather what binds all of us Orthodox is acceptance of Halacha.
rubinb:
1) The RCA rarely ever comes to the defense of Chareidim.
2) The Reform and Conservative “rabbinic leadership” also represent hundreds of thousands of US Jews. Must we respect them too?
3) Rav Ovadia Yosef and the Satmar Rebbes have little, if any, theological differences. Ashkenazim and Sefardim have different tradions on minhagim but not theological differences.