A bill is proposed that would permit the Ministry of Religious Services to fire a rav of a city if need be. The bill is presented by Deputy Minister of Religious Services Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan, who feels in an extreme case the ministry should have the authority to dismiss a civil service rav from his post. The bill reportedly has the endorsement of Chief Rabbi David Lau.

It appears the motivation for the bill is the painful reality that in cases today, in which a city’s chief rabbi does not function as he should, there is little the Chief Rabbinate or ministry can do and Rav Ben-Dahan wants to change this. They hope to change the legal designation of a city rabbi from an elected official to a civil servant to facilitate addressing one guilty of nonfeasance.

To date, once appointed as the rabbi of a city, that rav would generally remain in the post until retirement, a job for life. However, the new law passed by this national government limits the election of a city’s chief rabbi to a ten year term, and while he may run for an additional term, it is not his job for life.

Rav Ben-Dahan consulted with rabbonim serving on the Chief Rabbinate Council, and it is clear that he is trying to amend the law to permit the ministry to dismiss rabbonim who are simply taking advantage of their position rather than undertaking their responsibility to bring religious services to residents of a city.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)