In a historic first for Israel, a political standoff has left the country without chief rabbis.
Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Rav Dovid Lau and Sephardic Chief Rabbi Rav Yitzchok Yosef stepped down one week ago as their 10-year terms concluded.
Chief rabbis in Israel serve decade-long terms and often act as ambassadors for the nation internationally. The Chief Rabbinate holds authority over matters of personal status like marriage, gitten, geirus, as well as issues related to kevurah, kosher certification, holy sites, and rabbinical courts.
These rabbis, including those for local municipalities, are elected by a assembly comprising 80 rabbis from local religious councils and 70 public officials from the Knesset and local authorities. According to law, replacements should have been elected at least 21 days before the end of their tenure.
However, disputes over the assembly’s composition persisted, and the Ministry of Religious Affairs failed to convene it.
Originally scheduled for August 2023, the vote was postponed by the Knesset at the request of Religious Affairs Minister Michael Malkieli, citing potential interference with municipal elections set for October 31. Critics accused Malkieli of maneuvering to stack the assembly with members favorable to certain Chief Rabbi candidates and the 15-member Chief Rabbinate Council overseeing daily affairs and local rabbinic authorities.
The outbreak of war with Hamas in February led to further complications when municipal elections were postponed to February.
The situation grew more complex when the Attorney General ruled out Rav Lau and Rav Yosef’s involvement in selecting assembly members due to conflicts of interest. Both come from rabbinic families, with brothers seeking positions in the rabbinate, fueling allegations of nepotism. Rav Lau’s father, Rav Yisroel Meir Lau, served as Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi from 1993 to 2003, while Rav Yosef’s father, Chacham Ovadia Yosef, held the position of Chief Sephardi Rabbi from 1973 to 1983.
Adding another layer, the High Court of Justice in January mandated greater female representation in the assembly, directing the Chief Rabbis to include women among their nominees.
With no clear frontrunners emerging to succeed Rav Lau and Rav Yosef, several candidates have entered the fray.
{Matzav.com Israel}