Dublin’s Jewish community failed to approve the presumptive nominee for chief rabbi.
Yaakov Pearlman, who served since 2001, retired last week.
Days after Pearlman’s farewell kiddush, the synagogue council of the city’s main synagogue overrode the representative council’s recommendation of Rabbi Zalman Lent, a Chabad emissary, for the post of congregational rabbi. Lent has been the community’s youth and outreach rabbi for eight years.
The position is expected to be offered on a part-time basis after the current situation is resolved. The community had identified a preferred candidate two months ago, but he backed out only a week before his interview, reportedly over concerns that Lent was the obvious incumbent.
Some community members have demanded an emergency general meeting within 20 days to resolve the issue.
Ireland has slightly more than 1,000 Jews, with most in Dublin.
