In less than two weeks elections will be held for the Chief Rabbinate Council. These elections take place every five years. The electors are rabbonim and elected public representatives. It is clear to everyone with a minimum of understanding of the process, that this is not an apolitical process by any means, but quite the contrary – it is all about politics. It is also quite clear, given the structure of the current coalition, that the political orientation of these rabbonim and public representatives in the constituency will be biased toward the chareidi world as well as Shas.
As such, many persons in the dati leumi world are far less than pleased to have learned Shas and Bayit Yehudi have signed an agreement by which the current makeup of the Chief Rabbinate Council will be maintained.
Four of the rabbonim who are about to be reelected have passed the age of 80, and will finish this term, B’ezras Hashem in good health, when they as they are 90! A few more of the rabbonim are now approaching the age of seventy-five and will finish their term as they approach ‘gevuros’.
The only rabbi who will be chosen for the first time by virtue of the deal will be the new rabbi of the city of Nesher, who will replace Rabbi Avraham Yosef, who was elected in the last two elections, but cannot be re-elected because he was convicted of criminal activity. The rabbi of Nesher, Rabbi Yitzhak Levy, is not yet forty. The youngest rabbi after him is almost 25 years his senior.
Of course, age is not indicative of everything. There are certainly older rabbonim, including members of the Council, who carry out their duties faithfully, and that the Council is certainly blessed with their presence. But it would have been possible to expect that after two terms, other rabbonim would have been able to announce their candidacy for the Council, and that the elder rabbonim serving would announce their retirement.
The Chief Rabbinate continues efforts to defend itself on many playing fields, perhaps with the state-run kashrus leading them all. Amazingly, while the Chief Rabbis lash out at Tzohar Rabbonim and an array of other critics, the backroom deals and political manipulations continue as if no one is watching or as if the Chief Rabbinate is a private family business and the rabbonim can do as they please.
In another less than pristine act, Chief Rabbi Dovid Lau Shlita is accused of taking care of business, seeking to set himself up after his term in office has run out. Rav Lau wishes to be certified as a dayan by changing regulations, as reported by YWN-Israel.
According to a Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) report filed by correspondent Yair Orbito, Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Dovid Lau is trying to amend the criteria for certifying a rav as a dayan, to determine if one is entitled to be certified as the rav of a city and a dayan. The new regulation would excuse the selected few to be certified without taking exams, including Rav Dovid Lau. some members of the Chief Rabbinate Council feel the Chief Rabbi is doing this to permit granting himself the dayanus certification, which he currently does not have, preparing himself for employment upon completion of his term in office. If not granted the certification, the Chief Rabbi would not be permitted to continue in a senior dayanus post after his term expires.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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One Response
What a horrible horrible left wing article!!! Felt like I was reading the dati leumi times not what’s officially Yeshiva World News ……..
Who gives the heter for the bashing of the rabonim on the council or whatever it is?? Even if you don’t like them. No words…