Tranquil is not the word one would use to describe the situation in Kehillas Avi Ezri in the Cheftziba neighborhood of Modi’in Illit. The machlokes that prevails in this tzibur has led to a split and avreichim who follow HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Auerbach Shlita have opened a new shul. Quite frankly, the machlokes in this neighborhood is nothing more than a microcosm of the machlokes that exists in Bnei Brak, Yerushalayim and elsewhere in the chareidi litvish community in Israel.

The past months have been accompanied by verbal machlokes in the Avi Ezri Shul between avreichim following Gedolei Torah Shlita in Bnei Brak and the Yerushalmi branch which follows Rav Auerbach. A number of weeks ago, the rav of the kehilla, HaGaon HaRav Zevulun Shuv, took part in the rally in the capital organized by Rav Auerbach and the Yerushalmi branch together with the Eida Chareidis against the amended draft law.

Avreichim explained participating in the event was contrary to the wishes of HaGaon HaRav Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman Shlita and HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita. This may have been the event that highlighted the machlokes between the factions. In fact, a kenos was held last week to decry the actions of those who participated in the Yerushalayim event.

Amid this ongoing and deepening machlokes, the Yerushalmi faction avreichim have moved to a new shul. The question that remains is what will the rav do – remain in the original shul or move to the Yerushalmi branch shul?

Members of the Yerushalmi branch explain Rav Shuv was never mora d’asra, but came to give a chizuk and serve alongside the rav of the neighborhood, HaGaon HaRav Aaron Mittleman.

They add the rav wanted to leave some time ago when he realized the machlokes was widening. Kikar Shabbos News adds many Yerushalmi branch members add that the decision to open the new shul is simply because many preferred a shul that follows the derech of Rav Auerbach and not a result of this particular machlokes.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)