Rishon L’Tzion HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef and Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi HaGaon HaRav Dovid Lau have been serving as Sephardi and Ashkenazi Chief Rabbis of Israel for the past five years.

Now, in line with their agreement, the two will change positions. This results in Rav Lau becoming Av Beis Din of the Chief Rabbinate Supreme Beis Din instead of Rav Yosef, and Rav Yosef becoming the Chairman of the Chief Rabbinate Council, replacing Rav Lau. This will be the case for the remainder of their ten-year terms in office.

Rav Yosef’s office released the following statement to the media: “The Rishon L’Tzion and the Chief Rabbi of Israel note with satisfaction the end of five years of productive work at the head of the Batei Din system and are happy to be part of the revolution that characterized the courts in those years.

“The Rishon L’Tzion congratulates his colleague Chief Rabbi David Lau on his inauguration and wishes him great success in his new mission for the sake of the tzibur which comes before the gates of the Beis Din.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)