Rabbi Yitzhak Dabbi of Tel Aviv is expected to leave for Cairo immediately after the Passover holidays to assume the post of rabbi to the small Jewish community there which had asked for a rabbi from Israel. Dabbi’s appointment to the post followed the announcement by Sephardic Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef yesterday that the Egyptian government has granted permission for an Israeli rabbi to head the congregation in Cairo.
Dabbi, 47, was born and educated in Alexandria where his father, Rabbi Maatouk Dabbi, served as Deputy Chief Rabbi. He came to Israel 26 years ago and is presently a kashrut official at the Tel Aviv rabbinate.
His nomination was the result of representations made to President Anwar Sadat by Rabbi Yosef through Nissim Goon, president of the World Sephardi Union. Goon was a member of the delegation that accompanied Premier Menachem Begin to Coiro two weeks ago. He met with Sadat who agreed in principle to Rabbi Yosef’s request. Later, Goon was informed by the Egyptian Embassy in Geneva that “the Israeli rabbi can come immediately to Cairo, even today.” Rabbi Yosef indicated that the Egyptian government will pay the new rabbi’s expenses out of State religious funds.
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