Rosh Yeshiva 'Porat Yosef', the Gaon Rabbi Shalom Cohen was crowned this evening (Thursday) at a "Welcoming His Rabbi" ceremony held at the "Armonot Chen" halls in Bnei Brak, as president of the Shas movement's Council of Torah Scholars.
The coronation event, attended by members of the Council of Torah Scholars, rabbis, yeshivot leaders, and Shas MKs, takes place six months after the passing of the late Rabbi Yosef. The first person to announce the appointment as the successor to the Gra's successor was a member of the Council of Torah Sages, the Gaon Rabbi Shimon Adani, who declared: ""My friend the High Priest, the great scholar, we are friends from a young age. Now I say to him: You are the president of God among us.".
The words of the Rabbi Adani were joined by the new member of the Council of Torah Scholars, the Gaon Rabbi David Yosef, who read: "With the permission of the Maran Rosh Ha-Yeshiva, the spiritual leader of Sephardic Jewry, the President of the Council of Torah Scholars, the Gaon Rabbi Shalom Cohen," and added: "All members of the Council of Torah Scholars unanimously decided that a conservative would be the president." He added: "With Abba zt"l, the most respected opinion was that of the new president, the Rabbi Cohen." The audience rose to its feet and applauded.
Want more news, videos and stories? Join the Haredim 10 WhatsApp channel >>
The new president of the Council of Torah Sages, Rabbi Cohen, said in his speech: "I do not address this. We will certainly hope that God will guide us with good advice on how to lead. My friends forced me to be the head, but we are all as one man without harming each other, all of us with one heart. May God guide us with good advice to increase souls for God.".
In his speech, he also praised the Shas chairman, saying: "My trust in him is very strong." He later attacked the Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs, Rabbi Eli Ben Dahan, calling him "crazy.".
The Shas chairman also gave a speech, in which he crowned Rabbi Cohen with the title: "Maran Rosh Ha-Yeshiva," and said: "May God grant him health to lead this entire holy congregation, together with all the members of the Council of Sages.".
The ceremony was attended by the Haredi Adani, the Haredi Yosef, the Haredi Maya, the Haredi Mazuz, the Haredi Ben Shimon, the Haredi Cohen, Rosh Yeshiva Yakiri Yerushalayim, and more.
The move to crown Rabbi Cohen as president of the Council of Sages was led by Shas chairman MK Aryeh Deri, even though last week he claimed that he does not interfere in what is happening within Shas' spiritual leadership.
With this, Deri, a year and a half after returning to the leadership of the movement, effectively completes the transformation.
Rabbi Cohen is considered the biggest supporter of Aryeh Deri, who returned to the leadership of Shas after Rabbi Cohen acted on his behalf and sent a letter to the late Rabbi Cohen, in which he urged Deri to return to the leadership of the movement. At first, this was within the framework of the "Trinity," and a year ago - after Passover - Deri was appointed sole chairman.
This evening, before the coronation, Aryeh Deri arrived to inform the Grand Rabbi Steinman of the new appointment. During the conversation, which was warm and cordial, the Grand Rabbi praised the greatness of the Grand Rabbi Cohen.
