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The upcoming election of new chief rabbis of Yerushalayim, Ashkenazi and Sephardi, is a source of tension in all communities, chareidi, dati leumi and secular. The dati leumi and secular communities are more-or-less in tune with one another, both determined to prevent a ‘chareidi take-over’ of the capital, with the dati leumi camp comfortable with the knowledge that City Hall will support its candidate, as per the pre-election agreement that resulted in the dati leumi camp’s support for Nir Barkat’s mayoral bid.
A dati leumi kenos is scheduled to take place on Sunday to address the election with the realization a candidate must be selected. The event will be hosted in a hall in Jerusalem City Hall, and Mayor Nir Barkat is expected to be in attendance.
At present, the candidate for Sephardi chief rabbi appears to be secured, in the hands of HaGaon HaRav Y. Yosef but the Ashkenazi post is still undecided, with a number of chareidi candidates as well as rabbonim affiliated with the dati leumi camp.
The upcoming election comes amid growing tensions in a number of neighborhoods, including N’vei Yaakov, Kiryat Yovel and Ramat Eshkol, areas in which there are noticeably growing chareidi communities, a reality that has some secular residents concerned and determined to prevent the chareidi take-over of these areas. This is also expected to boost the dati leumi position, portrayed as moderate and in the eyes of some, as anti-chareidi, more favorable and less threatening than a chareidi chief rabbi.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
If they insist on having a government rabbi, it might make more sense to have separate ones based on 21st century difference (Dati vs Hareidi), rather than on 19th century ones (Ashkenazi vs Sefardi). In all fairness, the percentage of people who are “pure” one or the other is rapidly declining.
Of course, given that Eretz Yisrael has a secular government, and is a democracy, the likely “change” in the near future will be to a “Non-Orthodox/Conservative/Reform” and a “frum”. We should remember, and be wary, how in many European countries, the Reform ended up being the “official” rabbis. Perhaps halacha should be left to gedolim chosen by the frum Yidden, not the state.
Comment by akuperma — June 21, 2009 @ 10:08 am
akuperma,
Frum yiden, by whose definition? Yeshivish, Chassidish, MO, Chareidi?
Comment by lesschumras — June 21, 2009 @ 10:46 am
I live in Ramat Eshkol and seeing you write about “growing tensions in… Ramat Eshkol” is very annoying.
There is virtually no tension in Ramat Eshkol, if there is any at all. (Disagreement on one particular issue does not amount to “tension”.) There is certainly no “growing tensions”.
Reporting such facts, even if they would be true, usually will just lead to an increase in tenstions. When the facts are not true they certainly shouldn’t be reported!
Comment by Avi Kolko — June 21, 2009 @ 10:58 am
I think you mean Rav Yitzchak Yosef. no?
Comment by tzvi73 — June 21, 2009 @ 11:03 am
apukerma- regardless of your own beliefs -and I imagine that they are very much in the chareid mode- your assertion is wildly off the mark and so is your knoweldge of history.
Reform and conservative jewry has tried for many years to get a foothold in Eretz Yisroel and they have failed dismally. there is virtually no appetite in israel for a diluted Judaism. Politically (see the failure of the anti-religious parties)and theologicalkly, the vast majority of Jews in israel recognize that orthodox judaism is the true way.Thye do n ot necessarily observe the mitzvos-as is the case in Chutz Lo-oretz too- but the will only accept Orthodox Judaism as its guide.
As far as your assertion that ‘in many countries the reforme ended up being the official rabbis”, this is a very false assertion. Only in Germany was reform the prominent brabch of Judaism and even there zll the branches were repersented.i know of no other country where the “official’ rabbi was reform.
Comment by rabbiofberlin — June 21, 2009 @ 11:54 am
Just to set the record strait. I believe “the candidate for Sephardi chief rabbi appears to be secured, in the hands of HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef”. Not his brother HaRav Yaakov Yosef.
Comment by ben zvi — June 21, 2009 @ 12:00 pm
I venture a solution that was adopted in the past. Chief Rabbis, Rav Herzog & Rav Unterman were accepted by all frum yidden who understood the inherent issues involved in a job position as Chief Rabbi.
One of the underlying issues in this selection is that Rav Y. Yosef halachicly supports the heter mechira during the Shmitta year and the Charedei camp insists on the other POV expressed by the future Ashkenazi Chief rabbi. Also the various coveted positions available as dayanim, neighborhood rabbis, mashgichim, (high pay, pension, longevity) is in the hands of the Chief Rabbis to distribute.
Comment by zionflag — June 21, 2009 @ 12:21 pm
Purity? What on earth are you talking about? Have you seen “mixed” sephardim following the Remah lately? Mixed ashkenazim abandoning the Remah?
Comment by DovidG — June 21, 2009 @ 2:50 pm