Nepotism

“Should a son take over the yeshiva or shule after his father?”

It should be up to the congregants. Assuming they’re paying membership, no one else should decide for them who their Rov is going to be.

Joseph, that is a discussion that centers on whether or not it is a ????. In any case, is only if he is Gd-fearing like his father and the tzibbor wants him. There was one kehilla that had a by-law that no relative of a member could be the rav. When the rav passed away his son-in-law claimed the position but it turned out that he had a relative in the community. If I remember correctly the Chatam Sofer ruled that he could not become the rav.

Avi K, ?’ ????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ?”? ???? ?”? ?????? ????? ??. It seems that the Rav’s son in fact has preference for the position (provided that he is fit). The ??”? speaks of a case where the Tzibbur did not want the Chazan’s son, and nevertheless awards him the position.

I’d like to see the Chasam Sofer inside, if you can provide the reference. It seems like the case of the following ????, where the Mechaber says that a Minhag of the Tzibbur is tantamount to an explicit stipulation. Of course, a Tzibbur can stipulate in the Rav’s contract that his son does not enjoy automatic preference for the job, and this by-law would serve as such a stipulation.

I assume there would be a difference between a shul opened and owned by the rav (i.e. shtieble style), and one where the shul board hires the rav and pays him a salary?

The aforementioned halacha regarding the son being entitled to inherit his father’s position is certainly applicable in a Kehila.

tantali, as you see from the halachic discussion herein, “nepotism” is not only acceptable within Judaism but it is often preferred.

And regarding membership, all shomrei shabbos residents of the town are automatically members of the kehilla, and therefore obligated to pay membership.

In the US nobody can force you to pay anything. There really isnt such a thing as a “Kehila” in the US (Except maybe Kiryat Joel or maybe Lakewood, but that is it) Brooklyn for sure is NOT a kehila

If the rabbi works at the shul, his son learned under him, and the son is a capable man with a suitable personality to fit the congregation, then wouldn’t the son have an advantage over his father’s hashkafah over even an unrelated student?

In this case, the son was raised at home.

I say this because:

The son may know answers to sheilot, according to his father’s hashkafah, and how the father would posken for members of his congregation.

The son would have seen his father interacting at home. Maybe he would have overheard conversations between his mother and father. Maybe he would have had access to teshuvot.

Also, he has life experience. Someone can come up and ask him what to do if such and such happens in the kitchen. Well, according to his father, when such and such also happened at home. Or, his father had access to numerous shailot and the son was exposed to so much.

The congregation may not realize just how qualified the son is. It is possible that it would not be modest if the son told This congregant and That congregant what he knows. So instead he looks like he is being favored without reason. While, the guy in the interview room from the next town over is new and different, and can add something to the community. He looks like a good catch.

At the same time, maybe the rabbi’s son is what the community needs to stay consistent and keep the balance and peace?

Those are some thoughts.

R’Sherer had a policy against nepotism in the Agudah.Even his own sons and daughters were forbidden to have positions/jobs in the Agudah as long as he was alive.

edited