Jerusalem Councilman (Bayit Yehudi) Dov Kalmanovich at a public melave Malka at Beit HaRav Kook on motzei Shabbos announced his support for Rabbi Aryeh Stern as the next Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Yerushalayim.

Taking part in the melave malka were Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel Rabbi David Lau and Deputy Minister of Religious Services Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan. Rav Dahan also supports Rav Stern’s candidacy as the dati leumi candidate in the chief rabbi race in the capital. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat will also be supporting Rabbi Stern towards keeping his end of the deal made with Bayit Yehudi. The dati leumi party supported his reelection bid and the mayor in return agreed to support a dati leumi candidate as the city’s next chief rabbi.

It has been well over a decade since there have been chief rabbis in the capital and as a result of Supreme Court intervention, Rabbi Ben-Dahan’s office is expected to announce a date for elections in the near future.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)