Minister of Religious Services (Shas) David Azoulai on Tuesday, 6 Tammuz, met in the Jerusalem Religious Council office with the city’s chief rabbis, Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar Shlita and Rabbi Aryeh Stern Shlita. The meeting began with Rav Amar and Rav Stern arrived later.

Azoulai arrived with senior officials from the ministry as they held a working meeting.

A system has to be reconstructed by the Jerusalem Chief Rabbis after the positions have been vacant for over 12 years. The chief rabbis are trying to build a system where one has not existed for so long, compelled to address an array of issues that have been ignored over the years or handled inappropriately.

The meeting some feel is more significant that it appears for it may signal a thawing out of relations between Shas and Rav Amar, who had a falling out when he did not back Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef Shlita in the race for Chief Sephardi Rabbi of Israel.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)