The most prominent on the list is undoubtedly Meir Porush, with the Jerusalem mayoral race grabbing news interest around the globe.

JERUSALEM: Meir Porush entered Knesset in 1996 and served in an array of posts, including committees and deputy minister with ministerial authority. He also served as a member of the Jerusalem City Council for 13 years, by far the most experienced of the mayoral candidates in the Jerusalem race. He also served as a deputy mayor of Yerushalayim, responsible for chareidi education and city improvements.

BNEI BRAK: Yaakov Asher is the incoming mayor. There were no elections since there were no other candidates. He began his political career as an aide to Mayor Eliyahu Sussia. He also assisted Mayor Mordechai Karlitz and simultaneously served as a councilman in Elad. During this tenure which is winding down, he served as an assistant to the mayor.

EMANUEL: Ezra Garshi has been living in Emanuel in Shomron for 25 years. He heads the Shas list in the municipality’s municipal elections. He served on the city council, as a senior advisor, as the secretary and advisor to the mayor of Emanuel. He is known for his assistance to residents over the years, runs a kollel and a local gemach.

EMANUEL: Ephraim Maluv arrived in the Shomron community about 18 months ago. He is 29, and affiliated with Chabad. He was previously employed as an assistant principal in a Bnei Brak Chabad yeshiva. He was also on shlichus in Moscow after receiving smicha. He is running under the chassidic slate in the local election.

ELAD: Yitzchak Eden, who received smicha, is a former student of Ponovitz and Kol Torah. Under the Rabin administration, he served as an advisor to the prime minister of religious issues. He also has municipal council experience. He runs a gemach called Uri V’Ishi to assist couple preparing for marriage and was instrumental in assisting in establishing the kehillah in Zichron Yaakov, and today, runs as the chareidi candidate in the race.

BET SHEMESH: Moshe Abutbul served on the Bet Shemesh City Council for many years and may now become the first chareidi mayor of the city. He launched his campaign with formidable support from the non-frum community. He is considered aligned with Shas and as a result of his intensive activities to assist residents, enjoys widespread support among various streams of residents.

MODI’IN ILLIT (KIRYAT SEFER): Yaakov Gutterman began his career as an aide to Degel HaTorah’s Rav Avraham Ravitz and today, is viewed as a young up-and-coming future leader. He was called to serve as the mayor of Kiryat Sefer by Degel and has served two terms. He gained national notoriety with his innovative program to bring hi-tech and employment for women the chareidi community, a program that was the envy of many larger communities. In three weeks however, he will begin his third term, this time as mayor of the city, not a municipal council.

BET SHEAN: Shimon Nagar, 41, is the veteran Shas head in the city. He has achieved major accomplishments by opening a chareidi kindergarten, talmud torah and a kollel under the leadership of Rav Reuven Elbaz Shlita. In the last election, he lost the mayoral bid by 24 votes. He is now working to open a Beis Yaakov.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)