A delegation of Israel’s Supreme Rabbinical Council today called on Rabbi Jacob Toledano, Minister for Religious Affairs, with a warning about the dangers of proposed changes in election rules for the office of Chief Rabbi. Rabbi Toledano reportedly agreed to postpone implementation of the changes after receiving the deputation.
The revisions would transfer to the Government, municipalities and other secular bodies the present authority of the Rabbinical Council to name candidates for rabbinical posts. Another revision provides that the Chief Rabbis must be citizens of Israel and must not be more than 70 years of age on election. The chairman of the election committee, who has a double vote under the new regulations, must be a ministerial appointment. Previously, the eight-man committee had been composed of four members named by the rabbinical council and four by the Ministry of Religions, all with an equal vote.
The effect of the new rules, it was asserted, would bar the candidacy of Rabbi Issar Yehudah Unterman, Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv, who is 71. They would also rule out the candidacy of Rabbi J. B. Soloveitchik, of Boston, who has been frequently mentioned for the post of Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi. This would apparently give a clear path to Rabbi Shlomo Goren, now Chief Chaplain of the Israeli Defense Forces, who has strong Mapai backing for the post.
The delegation today presented to Rabbi Toledano the Rabbinical Council’s concern as embodied in resolutions in an extraordinary meeting of the Religious Council last night to which Rabbi Toledano was invited but which he did not attend. The delegation also reminded the Minister of the Rabbinical Council’s earlier decision to boycott the elections to replace the late Chief Rabbi Isaac Herzog.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Religions said today that the revised regulations would enable “any Diaspora rabbi” to be a candidate for the Chief Rabbinate if he assumed Israel citizenship on election. It was understood, however, that this clause does not concern the Rabbinical Council which did not raise it in the talk with Rabbi Toledano but did indicate adamant opposition to the age limitation proposal.
The Rabbinical Council’s primary concern in regard to the Chief Rabbinate, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency was told, was to retain its present authority in the naming of candidates and to be consulted on any changes in the election regulations.
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