Rabbi Itzhak Yedidya Fraenkel, for more than 30 years the spiritual leader and rabbi of the Southern Tel Aviv suburbs was elected yesterday as the Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv. There were no other candidates and he received 84 votes out of the 95 members of the electoral body that took part in the elections.
The electoral body consists of 32 members of the Municipal Council, 32 members of the Religious Council and 32 representatives of the larger synagogues in the city. One of the electors did not take part because of ill health.
Rabbi Chaim David Halevi was elected as the Sephardic Chief Rabbi. He received 74 votes while the other contender, Rabbi David Chelouche, received only 19. Both rabbis had their first meeting yesterday and assured everyone that they will work in mutual cooperation and respect so that the Torah is honored. Rabbis Fraenkel and Halevi replace Rabbis Shlomo Goren and Rabbi Yosef Ovadin who were elected to posts of Chief Rabbis for Israel.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
