In essence, the Haifa Religious Council began occupying its new home a number of months ago, the city’s main shul located at 60 Herzl Street. The impressive edifice, which was dormant, has returned to life with the council setting up upstairs in the ezras nashim.
On Monday morning, 24 Shvat, the chanukas habayis was held, beginning at 10:30am. The dais was in place and everything was set, but the three main participants, those whose names appeared on the invitations, were absent, Rishon L’Tzion HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Moshe Amar Shlita, Haifa’s Sephardic Chief Rabbi HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Shlush Shlita and Minister of Religious Services R’ Yaakov Margi.
While some believed this was simply coincidental, Ladaat reports otherwise, stating Rav Shlush boycotted the event, prompting the Rishon L’Tzion and minister to follow suit.
The report quotes “sources close to the rav [Shlush]” as saying the rav is fed up with askanim who are not close to Torah and fail to adhere to its teachings, and nevertheless seek anyway to advance their cause. The rav stated he prefers not to attend, since it will be on cheshbon of learning and davening, and he does not care to be a contributory factor to this, opting not to attend. “There are other things I would like to say, but they shall not be said in a public forum,” the report completes.
They added the rav praised Minister Margi for honoring his position and “honoring the Torah” by not attending, adding the rav is also full of words of praise for the head of the religious council, a person he personally appointed.
Minister Margi explained he did not attend as a result of the dispute, explaining he cannot attend such a function when there is an ongoing dispute with the city’s rabbi.
Rav Amar Shlita was in the northern area at the time, but opted not to attend. Ladaat did not succeed in obtaining a comment from the Rishon L’Tzion’s gabba’im.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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One Response
Why is Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen not mentioned? He has been the Ashkenazic chief rabbi of Haifa for over three decades and is one of the leading Dati Leumi rabbis anywhere.