HaRav Kalman Ber has been elected as Israel’s next Ashkenazi chief rabbi, set to serve a 10-year term.

He secured the position after winning a second-round vote, defeating Rabbi Micha Halevi by a margin of 77-58. The initial election earlier in the month ended in a tie between the two candidates.

Previously, HaRav Ber held the role of Ashkenazi chief rabbi in the city of Netanya. Though he has roots in the Bnei Akiva and religious Zionist movements, Ber received strong support from Degel HaTorah.

Joining Ber for the next decade as Sephardic chief rabbi is Hagaon HaRav David Yosef, who was elected earlier in the month.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)