Srulik Porush was hesitant about the appointment - but the community surprisingly chose another rabbi

June 28, 2020   

The large Yemenite community in the Haredi city of Elad has chosen the gaon Rabbi Shaul Achrek as the new community rabbi. The outgoing rabbi Da'atra, the gaon Rabbi Eitan Gamliel, who retired from his position, has placed his hand in the appointment. According to sources in the Yemenite community, Mayor Srulik Porush worked for months to lead to the appointment of a rabbi Da'atra to the Yemenite community - a rabbi who supported him in the recent local elections, but the community blocked the move and chose a rabbi of its own choosing. "Porush worked for a long time to appoint someone of his own from the Yemenite public - and he failed miserably," a source in the community tells Haredim 10. A Yemenite activist tells Haredim 10 about what happened behind the scenes: "For six months, Srulik Porush has been trying to hold elections for the community rabbi. Rabbi Eitan Gamliel signed a few days ago that he has no problem holding elections - he was also appointed by Yemenite rabbis without elections. Rabbi Shlomo Korach zt"l arrived, crowned him, and it has been like this for years, since the founding of the city. "A year and a half ago, they told him: They want to hold elections. He said, no problem, he gave a letter saying he had no problem holding elections. When we realized that the people of Parush were making completely strange criteria - we turned to Rabbi Gamliel and told him about what was happening. He got angry and asked: Who is the senior rabbi? They answered: Rabbi Ovadia Yaffei and Rabbi Shaul Achrek. The first one said he didn't want to - let Rabbi Achrek. Rabbi Achrek said that if there are enough rabbis to sign then why not. Rabbi Gamliel issued the letter in which he states that even though he gave approval for the elections, Rabbi Achrek will be the rabbi of the city because he is the oldest and most deserving and not the 'youngest of the flock.' "Following this letter, within a day all the rabbis signed.". In a statement issued by the community, it was stated that the appointment of Rabbi Shaul Achrek as the community rabbi was "approved by the Torah gurus of the Yemenite community in the country, headed by Rabbi Yitzhak Ratsavi and Rabbi Yefet Tayeri, after the outgoing Rabbi Eitan Gamliel, most appropriately approved the appointment. "They also supported the appointment by a majority of the community rabbis and the community's synagogue rabbis and the community's synagogue rabbis in the city.".