The list of candidates in the Tuesday afternoon election for new chief rabbis of Yerushalayim continues to shrink as additional rabbonim drop out of the race.

The first rav to drop out was Rabbi Yehuda Rosenthal. He dropped out days after registering, leaving many wondering why he entered the race to begin with.

Rabbi Avraham Chanoch Kutnier and Rabbi Moshe Maimon have also pulled out of the race since they are both over seventy and no longer eligible. Once again, one might question why they registered to begin with.

Surprising many, the rav/posek of the Jerusalem Religious Council and Rav of the Gilo neighborhood of Yerushalayim, Rabbi Eliyahu Schlesinger, has also dropped out of the race following the announcement from Degel Hatorah that it was backing Rabbi Moshe Chaim Lau.  Rav Schlesinger announced that he continues to act in accordance with instructions from Gedolei Hador Shlita and therefore, he leaves the race without hesitation or any bad feelings.

Beersheva Chief Rabbi Yehuda Deri also pulled his name from the list of candidates. Rav Deri, who is a brother of Shas leader Aryeh Deri is aware that he too hasn’t a chance of being elected.

Also counted among those who dropped out of the race is Elad Chief Sephardi Rabbi Mordechai Malka. One may anticipate that additional rabbonim will drop out before the election gets underway on Tuesday 27 Tishrei at 16:00.

According to the pollsters, the realistic candidates remain Rabbi Shlomo Amar and Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu for the post of Chief Sephardi Rabbi and Rabbi Aryeh Stern and Rabbi Moshe Chaim Lau for the post of Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)