Yehoshua Baruchi, chairman of the Jerusalem Religious Council, has resigned charging corruption on the part of three deputy chairmen. He said that only the ouster of the three, who represent the Labor Party, Agudat Israel and Poale Agudat Israel, could induce him to change his mind. According to Baruchi, the Council’s employes live under “a reign of terror” imposed by the three deputies and ostracize anyone who complains.
The Jerusalem Religious Council recently came under scathing criticism from the State Comptroller who found irregularities and mismanagement in almost all of its departments. One rabbi remained on the payroll for over two years during which he was in the United States on personal business.
Baruchi said he had tried to put a stop to these practices but was thwarted by the three deputies. He said he would have submitted his resignation earlier but for a strike at the Council last week that paralyzed marriage registrations and created a shortage of kosher meat in Jerusalem.
The Jerusalem Religious Council, like those in all other Israeli cities and towns, provides religious services such as ritual slaughtering and marriage registration and supervises the administration of synagogues and ritual baths. Their budgets are provided partly by the municipalities and partly by the Ministry for Religious Affairs.
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