Chief rabbi

Inheriting moral instincts: How choices become a legacy – opinion

Our descendants absorb what we choose to do in times of crisis: they act based on what they watched us forgive, defend, and risk for others.

|ByKENNETH BRANDER
A rabbi blows a shoat ahead of Yom Kippur at the Western Wall in Jerusalem in 2026.
REUVEN WABASHAT, Israel’s chief rabbi of the Ethiopian community, is seen in Jerusalem in 2018.

Could an Ethiopian Israeli become prime minister, president, or chief rabbi? - opinion

An Ethiopian Israeli should also be capable of leading a major Zionist or Jewish institution, and should appear on CNN, Fox News, the BBC, or Sky News.

|BySHMUEL LEGESSE
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Axelrod, Chief Rabbi of the Republic of Moldova.

Moldova hires first chief rabbi in 12 years, new chapter for revived Jewish community - interview

Chabad played an instrumental in Moldova since the outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2022, providing support for refugees, coordinating travel and in general providing a base for those in need.

|ByMATHILDA HELLER
KASHRUT CERTIFICATION at a Jerusalem eatery – will the rabbinate’s monopoly be broken?

Knesset repeals 2021 kashrut reform, restores Rabbinate control over certification

Under the law, official kashrut certificates may be issued by the Chief Rabbinate Council, authorized local rabbis, and, within the IDF, the Military Rabbinate.

|BySARAH BEN-NUN

This week in Jewish history: The start of the IDF draft and the Daf Yomi cycle

A highly abridged version of the daily Dust & Stars.

SEPTEMBER 8, 2024BySTEVEN DRUCKER
CELEBRATING SIYUM HASHAS, the completion of the ‘Daf Yomi,’ a seven-and-a-half-year cycle of studying the Talmud, at Har Etzion Yeshiva.

At 28, Ireland’s new chief rabbi is leading an aging population in a time of turmoil

Ireland's newest chief rabbi has stepped up during a time of conflict and uncertainty, especially amid Ireland's staunch criticism of Israel.

AUGUST 28, 2024BySHIRA LI BARTOV/JTA
The inauguration ceremony of Rabbi Yoni Wieder as chief rabbi of Ireland was held at the Dublin Hebrew Synagogue, May 21, 2024.

It's time for a revolutionary rabbi to come save Judaism from self-destructing - opinion

Through the ages, many courageous rabbis changed the course of Judaism by taking bold action, often, if not always, in the face of vehement opposition. It's time for a new rabbinic revolution.

AUGUST 25, 2024BySTEWART WEISS
An illustrative image of a cannon firing.

Education as the key to Jewish resilience and global impact - opinion

Amid rising challenges, Jewish education must stay a priority, nurturing future leaders to ensure Jewish children not only survive but thrive.

AUGUST 22, 2024ByCHAYA YOSOVICH
‘THERE IS only one way to change the world, and that is through education,’ wrote the late UK chief rabbi Jonathan Sacks.

Chief Rabbi election must be held by September 30, High Court rules

The state has two chief rabbis, one Sephardic and the other Ashkenazi. The previous rabbis were Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef and Rabbi David Lau.

AUGUST 12, 2024ByELIAV BREUER
A court hearing on the government's drafting of yeshiva students for the IDF, at the High Court of Justice in Jerusalem on June 2, 2024

Grapevine: Rabbi Herzog, holy rescuer

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

JULY 27, 2024ByGREER FAY CASHMAN
Then chief rabbi Israel Meir Lau takes part in the Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem in 2022.

New interim chief rabbi appointed, previous resigned over inclusion of female rabbis

Ralbag's appointment was made according to the rule that that the oldest member of the rabbinical council will fill the position in the absence of a serving chief rabbi.

JULY 15, 2024ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef speaks during the funeral of Yehuda Deri, the chief rabbi of Beersheba, in Jerusalem, July 9, 2024

Editor's Notes: Chief rabbis retire but did anybody notice?

The Chief Rabbinate must evolve to address the spiritual and practical needs of all Jews in Israel, regardless of their level of observance.

JULY 6, 2024ByZVIKA KLEIN
END OF AN ERA: Israel’s two chief rabbis conclude their tenure, leaving their positions vacant. (Dalle-E)

Israel no longer has chief rabbis after ministry fails to hold timely elections

The Religious Services Ministry failed to hold elections in time to reinstate the tenure of chief rabbis.

JULY 3, 2024ByELIAV BREUER
ASHKENAZI CHIEF Rabbi David Lau (left) and Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef: The silence of our two chief rabbis is thunderously indicative of the abject state of these once meaningful and relevant positions, the writer argues.

'Spiritual support' to the military: Kyiv chief rabbi meets with senior Ukrainian officers

The event, held at the JCC Beit Menachem community center, included a lecture by the Chief Rabbi.

JULY 3, 2024ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF