The Movement leader Tzipi Livni and Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett both announced they would push legislation to amend today’s reality, both of the opinion Israel does not require more than one chief rabbi. Today, just weeks after the election of Israel’s chief rabbis to a ten-year term, the two are moving ahead with the bill as promised.
Justice Minister Livni and Religious Affairs Minister Bennett have introduced the Chief Rabbinate Bill that intends to eliminate the second post of chief rabbi. They feel the nation will elect either a Sephardi or Ashkenazi chief rabbi, but not one of each. When Rabbi David Lau and Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef were elected, the two lawmakers stated this was to be the last time the nation has two chief rabbis.
The bill does not stop there however. The bill separates the authority of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel from the nation’s rabbinical courts, which will become an independent entity. YWN-ISRAEL has not be able to ascertain under what ministry the batei din will be accountable, the Ministry of Religious Services or the Justice Ministry.
The av beis din of the Rabbinical Supreme Court and his deputy will be selected by the dayanim serving on that court and the av beis din will not be the chief rabbi as has been the case in past years. This follows the model of Israel’s Supreme Court. They feel since the chief rabbi is a public official, his role is demanding and diversified and it is therefore it is not in line with the exclusive role required for an av beis din. In addition, the ministers point out under the current system a chief rabbi who is not qualified to be the av beis din will hold that role nonetheless.
Another change addresses the av beis din of batei din around the country. That position will only be filled by one of the av beis dins around the country and unlike in today’s system, the rav of a city, even if he is a dayan, will not be eligible for the post.
The chief rabbis, city rabbis, avos batei din, and regional rabbonim appointed to date will continue in their posts until their terms run out.
“Israel has one prime minister, one president, one supreme court chief justice, and one chief of staff and therefore the time has come for one chief rabbi too” stated Livni.
Bennett added “This is an important step towards achdus. Appointing only one chief rabbi is counted among those things we asked ourselves why this was not done sooner. This is an act that symbolizes achdus. Today, as Ashkenazim, Sephardim, Yemenites and all ethnicities marry one another, it is clear there is no need for two chief rabbis. Just as there is only one IDF Chief Rabbi, there is no reason for the Chief Rabbinate to be any different.”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
Those who are fighting for civil marriage, same gender marriage or marriage with their dog should have no say on the matter of Chief Rabbis. They are a disgrace to Israel and to the rest of the world.