After an extended meeting, the committee to appoint dayanim reached agreement to appoint 22 dayanim to Israel’s regional batei din. The 14-hour meeting carried into the predawn hours.

Despite efforts by MK Aliza Lavie and others to prevent the appointment of dayanim related to rabbonim on the Chief Rabbinate Council, the appointments include dayanim related to Chief Rabbi Dovid Lau and to Rabbi Tzion Boaron. In the case of Rav Lau, his brother-in-law Rav Ariel Schweitzer was appointed. In the case of Rav Tzion Boaron, his son Rav Yinon was appointed.

One might say that Rishon L’Tzion Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef also scored a victory as he called for appointing Sephardi dayanim in at least half of the slots and 11 of the 22 are Sephardi dayanim. The committee members failed to reach agreement regarding the seven dayanim who will serve on the Chief Rabbinate Supreme Beis Din.

Sephardi dayanim include Rabbi Yinon Boaron, Rabbi Chaim Vida, Rabbi Shmuel Chazan, Rabbi Shimon Lavi, Rabbi Shachar Edo, Rabbi Alon Avidar and Rabbi Bentzion HaCohen Rabin.

Ashkenazi dayanim include Rabbi Refael Gelb, Rabbi David Gruzman, Rabbi Elimelech Wasserman, Rabbi Shmuel Tzvi Fried, Rabbi Ariel Schweitzer, Rabbi Yair Lerner, and Rabbi Avidan Moshe Schfeiner.

Dati leumi affiliated appointments include Rabbi Aryeh Uriel, Rabbi Elad Eli, Rabbi Avraham Guftman, Rabbi Avraham Zarbiv, Daniel Katz, Rabbi Sini Levy, Rabbi Yaakov Ovadia and Rabbi Shlomo Shoshan.

In short, there are 8 dayanim from the dati leumi community, 7 Sephardi chareidi and 7 Ashkenazi chareidi.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)