Over 100 Israeli mayors have signed a letter to Religious Affairs Minister Michael Malkieli, urging the government to cancel its plan to grant the Chief Rabbinate the power to appoint municipal rabbis. The mayors argue that this move would undermine the autonomy of their cities and towns to choose a rabbi that aligns with their “unique character.”
The controversy began when the religious affairs ministry published directives on April 11, aiming to shift the appointment power from municipalities to the Chief Rabbinate. The move was met with resistance, as the Chief Rabbinate is traditionally Charedi, and many mayors want their cities to choose rabbis that suit them – not halacha.
The mayors pointed out that since the municipality pays the rabbi’s salary, they should have the authority to select their employees. They also opposed two additional parts of the directive, which lower the requirement for women’s representation on the selection committee and allow rabbis to continue serving beyond the legal retirement age of 67.
The mayors argue that rabbis have significant influence over women residents, so appointment committees should have a large representation of women. Additionally, as elected officials, there is no justification for granting them a delayed retirement age.
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Nicely camouflaged arguments with the sole intention to bring Reform and other non-halachic policies into their pseudo Judaism and choliloh to destroy anything really Jewish in their cities [besides to ensure chareidim won’t come and settle there…].
DavidtheKanoi, you may be a kanoi, but one badly uninformed. No city has a reform or non-halakhic rabbi; they have Dati Leumi rabbis whose children fight in the IDF and die for Israel. Haredi cities have hareidi rabbis, as they should. Rabbi Yosef wants to be able to appoint rabbis who behave like he prefers, paid for by others.