Rabbi Aryeh Stern Shlita, the dati leumi community’s candidate to become the next Jerusalem Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi, was invited to a simchas beis hashoeva in Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva. The invitation was extended by the rosh yeshiva, Rabbi Yaakov Shapira Shlita, who is also a candidate in the race.

Rabbi Shapira is likely to pull out of the race now that Rabbi Stern’s semicha has been verified and his candidacy is no longer in jeopardy. In the last race for the city’s chief rabbis, Rabbi Shapira did not run, once again bowing out to permit Rabb Stern to run.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)