In the former 19th Knesset, Minister of Religious Services (Bayit Yehudi) Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan changed regulations to demand additional accountability from civil service rabbonim, seeking to create a system to ensure the rabbonim do their jobs and account for their time. Many of the rabbonim rejected his overture, explaining “Rabbonim are not clerks”. There were a number of protests gatherings to decry the new regulation, a battle that was backed by chareidi lawmakers. A regional labor court even issued an interim order preventing implementation of some of the new regulations in certain areas.
His replacement, current Minister of Religious Services (Shas) David Azoulai has eliminated this regulation, which represented a significant component of Ben-Dahan’s reforms vis-à-vis religious services. Azoulai is among those who believe the rabbis are not clerks and therefore they are not required to fill out time sheets as was requested of them.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
Traditional rabbonim, and there are many in Eretz Yisrael, are definitgely not clerks – though they might supervise clerks. Traditionally rabbonim are teachers and judges and community leaders and “scholars in residence.” Traditionally, rabbonim are chosen by the communities they lead (and those who don’t want to accept the leadership change shuls).
However a government-appointed rabbi in Medinat Yisrael is usually chosen independent of the community he is assigned to, and chosen not for his scholarship or wisdom or midos – but for being a good toady of whomever controls the government body selecting him. His job is not to lead or to teach, but to supervise the government-regulated versions of religious services (which many frum Israelis ignore, which is why there are plenty of non-state religious services, lead by traditional rabbonim).
So it isn’t really an issue that the government expects him to punch a clock and keep statistics on his productivity, like any other bureaucrat charged with keeping the community properly tied up in red tape.
I have to account for my work time to my employer. Physicians have to account for their time. Engineers also must. I guess these are all clerks according to this gentleman.
On the other hand some of these rabbis are making 30k+ monthly and tips from weddings,etc.and donot have to tell us where and what they do?
Simple solution: Don’t take taxpayer money and then you don’t have to be accountable.