While the media focus this week is on the mehadrin buses and related issues, Shas officials are not resting; busying themselves with matters of paramount importance, including the upcoming elections for chief rabbis as their 10-year term is reaching an end, with elections expected in 15 months.

Both rabbonim, Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Yechiel Metzger Shlita and Sephardi Chief Rabbi Moshe Shlomo Amar Shlita have told the media they do not plan to seek another term. Rav Amar stated that even if the bill passes Knesset permitting another term, he wishes to step down from this most taxing position to engage in writing Torah and giving shiurim. It appears Rav Ovadia was given a copy of a BaKehilla article stating Rav Amar is looking forward to stepping down, leading to a meeting of the two.

Simultaneously, Shas officials are working diligently towards advancing the long overdue elections for chief rabbis of the capital, aware the vaad is scheduled to convene on Sunday, 6 Teves, at which time elections are expected to be announced, within 60 days.

The local election is extremely complicated and the deal that brought Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat the support of the dati leumi community for his election now compels him to return the favor by pushing for the dati leumi community’s candidate for chief rabbi. This significantly complicates the agenda of Shas and the Ashkenazi chareidim. An analogy of 24 Jerusalem shuls shows half are aligned with the dati leumi community, four with Degel HaTorah (Litvish), four with Shas (Sephardi), and three are yet unaffiliated. Shas is not overly optimistic regarding Sunday’s meeting, aware the situation does not appear as promising as hoped.

Two large Kehillos that were removed from the list, Gur and Belze, result in a new demographic reality for the chareidi tzibur. Someone from the Ministry of Religious Services this week phoned Deputy Minister Yaakov Litzman, informing him that since one member of the Jerusalem City Council is a Yahadut HaTorah member, he cannot appoint another representative under the shul banner. This explains the removal of a Gur candidate but no explanation has been given regarding Belze.

Whatever the case, Shas is actively working to push it agenda, both on the national and local level and there can be no doubt that an election for chief rabbis in the capital in the coming months will only serve to fuel the fires of dispute during an already most difficult period.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)