HaGaon HaRav Aaron Yehuda Leib Shteinman Shlita reportedly told Rehovot Chief Rabbi Simcha HaKohen Kook that he should vote for Rabbi David Lau in the race for new Chief Rabbis of Israel.
According to Kikar Shabbat, the Gadol Hador rejected an effort to persuade him to back Rabbi Yaakov Shapira in the race. This appears to be the result of rumors that Rav Kook has been working behind the scenes to promote the candidacy of Rav Shapira, including meetings with members of the voting body towards persuading them to back Rav Shapira.
On Wednesday, 10 Menachem Av 5773, Rav Kook arrived at the Gadol Hador’s home accompanied by Rav Avraham Sherman. The matter of the Chief Rabbinate elections was discussed. The names of the candidates were reviewed and Rav Shteinman instructed Rabbi Kook to back Rabbi Lau in his bid to become the next Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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Every day this political charade looks more and more like old style Chicago politics except that the key actors are a bunch of litvashe and sephardeshe rabbonim rather than ward bosses on the South Side. The job of “chief rav” has much more to do with patronage and power rather than lamdus. Each side is trying to centralize support for their “preferred” candidate, even if that candidate happens to be the son of one of the political bosses (aka rav) for that Kehillah.