Hundreds of rabbonim from across Eretz Yisrael attended an Eilat conference in the Rimonim Hotel, which has been kashered to bring the kashrus level to that which satisfies the tzibur attending the event.
As in past years, the event is arranged by the Ariel Beis Medrash located in Bayit Vegan, under the direction of Haifa Chief Rabbi Shar Yashuv Cohen Shlita. Members of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel Rabbinical Council are also in attendance.
Some 300 rabbonim are taking part in the conference from 13-17 Shvat. The event includes shiurim and workshops, as well as addressing practical matters. The kenos was opened by Rav Shar Yashuv Cohen, who also heads a beis medrash to certify dayanim. Other rabbonim shlita who addressed the event include Rav Simcha HaCohen Kook (Rechovot), Rav Yitzchak Peretz (Ra’anana), Rav Elituv (Benjamin Council), and Rav Rosa, who heads the vaad rabbonim of Zaka.
According to a HaMevaser report, Chief Rabbi Yonah Metzger Shlita arrived before shabbos, and he addressed matters that are of immediate urgency, mainly the ongoing battle by the rabbonim to maintain their independence amid efforts to place additional restrictions on rabbonim who serve in civil service posts. The rabbonim also discussed the pressing issues and increasing controversy surrounding giyur and other matters, with the Chief Rabbinate finding itself defending its halachic standpoint against secular government agencies.
One example discussed was the case of the Chief Rabbi of Kiryat Gat, HaGaon HaRav Moshe Havlin, regarding his appointment of the local Chabad yeshiva gedolah. After probing just who was behind the move, the rabbonim learned it was the legal advisor of the Justice Ministry, the man who replaced attorney Amnon DaHartuk, known for his staunch anti-chareidi views.
The rabbonim explained that all rabbonim in Israel stand at the head of one yeshiva or another, and they questioned just who are these secular legal advisors to challenge the practice. HaGaon HaRav Shimon Elituv Shlita, who serves as the chief rabbi of the Benjamin Regional Council in Shomron decried new government guidelines demanding a reckoning from rabbonim, of their daily activities, and the fact that a regional council can dismiss a rabbi just by deciding to do so.
Some of the rabbonim were extremely critical of the silence of their colleagues, suggesting the rabbonim march on Yerushalayim in protest. Some suggest special tefilla rallies while others spoke of petitioning the High Court of Justice, seeking to define their rights and responsibilities.
Rav Yitzchak Perez Shlita, of Ra’anana, delivered a fiery address, promising to wage an unrelenting struggle to abolish some of the new restrictions which are not becoming the status of rabbonim of cities and townships in Israel.
Regarding giyur, they discussed the alarming situation of goyim who possess a teudah, a state recognized certificate of conversion while never undertaking to keep Torah and mitzvos. The rabbonim insisted such a certificate may never be recognized. They added some of these so-called giyurim openly admit they believe in Yeshu.
In closing the event, the rabbonim agreed that must work together for there is strength in numbers, to remove unjustifiable and degrading restrictions, praising the Chief Rabbinate and the system for their ‘avodas kodesh’.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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6 Responses
DaHartuk, is a family member of Yakhial Zpyra?
The proper spelling, as I have noted tens of times already, is DeHartoch (or De Hartoch).
It’s Dutch, not Arabic or so, which DaHartuk looks like.
De Hartoch makes me ashamed to be Dutch, though.
By the way, it “so-called gerim”, not giyurim.
Giur is the process. Ger/giores is one who undergoes that process.
The bottom line is that batie dinim have lost its authority all together when so called frum yidin in stead of listen to bais din go to secular courts to over turn the psok of bes din and not only are they not condemed they are supported with out mentioning exampels evreyone knows what’s going on in a chashev a yeshiva in america for one and other such cases and by the way why is this being held in eliat of all places
not for naught did Rav Chaim Zonenfeld declare a fast when the rabanut was founded. he proclaimed and forsaw the danger of rabonim behing on governments leashes.
he was right
“The Rimonim Hotel has been kashered to bring the kashrus level to that which satisfies the tzibur attending the event”
This is confusing to many of us who have stayed at the Rimonim in the past based in part on its advertising itself as “glatt kosher” for mehadrim. Now for these rabbonim we find that had to “re’kasher” the hotel to bring the kashrus to acceptable levels. Does this mean they were not kosher earlier? Has there been any issue of treifus reported here? Or do these rabbonim simply warrant a higher level of hashgacha than the rest of us?
#4 Why then did some of our most chasuva rabbanim and roshei yeshiva work as rabbanim and dayanim for the RABANUT?