A letter sent by Attorney Menachem Moshkowitz, who represents synagogues and residents in Jerusalem, to the Jerusalem Rabbinate Elections Committee, which is meeting this afternoon in the office of Mayor Nir Barkat, indicates that the affidavits of 75 percent of the synagogues in which the Ministry of Religious Services' Supervision and Control Division conducted an inspection and count of the number of seating places were found to be incorrect, and there is even serious concern that they are false and untrue.
At the previous committee meeting held over a month ago, the committee decided to send members of the Ministry of Religious Services' Supervision and Control Division to conduct a count of the seating capacity in the prayer halls of 8 synagogues out of the 12 synagogues selected to send a representation to the electorate.
This follows the claim of Attorney Moskowitz, and affidavits submitted to the committee, according to which a count conducted in these synagogues found that the number of worshipers was much smaller than the number reported by the synagogue collectors in the affidavits they submitted to the committee, and because of this, the committee decided to elect them to the body that elects the rabbis of the city of Jerusalem.
In his letter, Attorney Moskowitz claims that the information he has indicates that, according to the inspection conducted by the Ministry of Religious Services' Supervision and Control Division, in 6 of the eight synagogues counted, the number of seats in all prayer halls, including the women's section, is smaller than the number of worshipers declared by the synagogue.
According to him, the gaps are between 10 percent and 70 percent.
The synagogues in question are: Mishkan Gabriel, Ramban, Beit Shlomo, Beit Yitzhak, Khot Shel Chesed, and Har Nof National Religious Synagogue. This situation raises great doubt regarding the reliability of the synagogue affidavits, not to mention that the affidavits are suspected of being false and untrue.
Attorney Moskowitz further notes that in the other two synagogues, it was also found that the number of seats in all prayer halls, including with the women, is almost identical to the number of worshipers declared by the synagogue, and any reasonable person understands that on a regular Sabbath, the synagogue is filled to the brim, with all the minyanim, including with the women, as if it were the High Holy Day prayers or the holiday prayers. This situation is illogical and unreasonable, and also raises serious concerns about the reliability of the affidavits of these synagogues.
Attorney Moskowitz demands that the affidavits that were found to be incorrect be completely rejected, and emphasizes that an affidavit that is found to be incorrect cannot be used in any way, not even partially. In light of this, he demands that the committee contact these synagogues and demand that they submit new affidavits, and decide whether to add these synagogues to the electorate based on the new affidavits.
In his letter, Attorney Moskowitz also criticizes the decision to hold the committee meeting this afternoon at the Jerusalem Mayor's Office, in contrast to all the meetings that have been held to date only at the Ministry of Religious Services.
Moskowitz notes that the fact that Barkat's membership in the committee is pending in the High Court, in light of the fact that he publicly declared his support for one of the candidates, and that he is therefore disqualified from being a member of a committee that must conduct its work professionally, statesmanlikely, and neutrally - and instead of the committee suspending his membership until the High Court's ruling, the entire committee is subservient to him and is going to hold its meeting in his office.
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