After years of failed deal-making, nine dayanim have been appointed to the Chief Rabbinate Supreme Beis Din. The members of the appointment committee were compelled to reach agreement and make appointments by a High Court of Justice decision.

Dayanim were not appointed for years to the High Beis Din with the exception of Dayan Rav Igra Shlita, a number of weeks ago. The court demanded the appointment of the new dayanim by the 15th of the month.

The deal-making was intense, with each sector seeking to appoint qualified dayanim aligned with their hashkafa.

The nine new dayanim are:

1. הרב אליהו היישריק – (affiliated with Gerre Chassidus & backed by Yahadut Hatorah)

2. הרב אהרון כץ – (Filled “Ashkenazi/Chareidi” slot, backed by Degel Hatorah)

3. הרב אברהם שינדלר – (backed by Yahadut Hatorah)

4. ראב”ד תל אביב הרב יצחק אלמליח – (Shas affiliated)

5. ראב”ד העיר נתניה הרב יעקב זמיר – (Shas affiliated)

6. הרב מימון נהרי – (Shas affiliated)

7. הרב אברהם שפירא – (Bayit Yehudi)

8. אב”ד באר שבע הרב ציון לוז – (Bayit Yehudi)

9. הרב מיכאל עמוס – (Likud)

With the appointment of the nine dayanim requires additional funding. The decision was made that instead of turning to the treasury immediately they would pass over appointing four dayanim to the district batei din to make up for the two slots added to the Supreme Beis Din.

Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Dovid Lau Shlita phoned the dayanim to congratulate them. Appointment Committee member MK Yisrael Eichler lauded the fact that of the 12 dayanim on the Supreme Beis Din (including the Chief Rabbis), nine are chareidim. “After years they appointed dayanim whose yirah (Yiras Hashem) surpasses their wisdom (Chachma). Not a single person for the reformists got in as a dayan” state Eichler.

In a conversation with Mordechai Lavi of Kol Chai Radio on Wednesday morning 7 Tammuz, Eichler explained the statement. He stated there are rabbonim who are genuine talmidei chachamim but are more interested in “changing halacha” than handing down rulings in accordance to halacha and he is pleased that such rabbonim were not appointed.

The chareidim were also pleased because a number of dati leumi candidates, dayanim affiliated with the liberal stream, were all blocked from receiving positions.

The Supreme Beis Din is broken down as follows regarding affiliation:

Sephardi Dayanim

1. הראשל”צ הרב יצחק יוסף

2. הרב יעקב זמיר

3. הרב יצחק אלמליח,

4. הרב ציון לוז

5. הרב מיכאל עמוס

Ashkenazi Dayanim

1. הרב הראשי הרב דוד לאו

2. הרב אליעזר איגרא

3. הרב אליהו היישריק

4. הרב אהרן כץ

5. הרב שלמה שפירא

Yemenite Dayan

1. הרב מימון נהרי

While one may question the relevance of a dayan’s ethnic background, this and one’s hashkafa (chareidi or dati leumi) and affiliation (political backing) are the very factors that dayanim were not appointed for years as committee members could not reach a mutually acceptable deal.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)