Emergency legislation to extend the expiring terms of Israel’s chief rabbis and the rabbinate’s juridical council until the end of July, passed its first reading in the Knesset today and is expected to be adopted before parliament recesses for the Passover holidays. The interim measure was pushed by the government so that the chief rabbis will continue to have legal authority after their terms expire, pending new elections. The chief rabbis are elected by delegates from the religious councils in each Israeli community. But the laws for the election of chief rabbis and rabbinical judges are facing drastic revision this year. One plan calls for the abolition of a dual–Sephardic and Ashkenazic–chief rabbinate. The Cabinet. The Cabinet rejected a request by the Religious Affairs Ministry to extend the term of the present chief rabbis for one year.
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