The race for the Jerusalem rabbinate: The people of the rabbi Aryeh Stern accuse the Chief Rabbinate of "irrelevant considerations" and a "clear conflict of interest" due to the failure to convene the Chief Rabbinate Council to approve the candidate's fitness certificate.
In an urgent letter sent this evening by Adv. Aviad HaCohen, Rabbi Stern's attorney, to the legal advisor of the Ministry of Religious Services, Adv. Israel Pat, he claims that despite repeated requests from him, he has not yet received the date for the Chief Rabbinate Council to convene.
Attorney HaCohen even hints in his letter against the Chief Rabbi, who is also the president of the Chief Rabbinate Council, that he is acting out of a conflict of interest: "Due to the issue of the clear conflicts of interest between a significant portion of the council members and the candidates who have presented or announced their intention to present their candidacy, rumors have begun to emerge that the delay in promoting the implementation of the Deputy Attorney General's directive stems from irrelevant considerations.".
Attorney HaCohen added: "With all due respect, I think you would do well to immediately instigate them by immediately publishing the information mentioned above, and thus we will all be free from the commandment, "And you will be free from the Lord and from Israel.""
In recent weeks, several questions have arisen about the qualification certificate for the position of city rabbi of the Gra Stern. According to the claims, the "Great in Torah" certification granted to him by the Chief Rabbinate has expired.
After Attorney Menachem Moskowitz approached the Ministry of Justice, a meeting was held to examine the issue.
Last night, as first published in Haredim10, Deputy Attorney General Attorney Erez Kaminitz sent the decision of the acting Ministry of Justice to the Chief Rabbi, in which he wrote: "It appears that in light of the special circumstances of this case, and in light of Rabbi Aryeh Stern's reliance on the certificate of fitness given to him by the Chief Rabbinate Council, which was signed by the former Chief Rabbis, and to remove any doubt, the Chief Rabbinate Council must again discuss and make a decision in the matter of Rabbi Aryeh Stern, and this regarding his being a 'great man in Torah,' in accordance with the regulations.".
In light of this, Kaminitz writes: "Given the proximity of the elections for city rabbis in Jerusalem, the discussion should be held and a decision made regarding Rabbi Stern as soon as possible, no later than the 18th of Tishrei 5775, 12.10.14. Given the current circumstances, it is also possible to allow a decision via telephone poll.".
However, the council did not meet today, and the Deputy Attorney General sent another letter to the Chief Rabbi, in which he clarifies that the council should meet only to renew the validity of the certificate, and not to discuss whether Rabbi Stern is entitled to it. "You must extend the validity of Rabbi Aryeh Stern's fitness," he wrote.
Despite this, the date of the council's convening, or the holding of a telephone poll among its members, has not yet been announced, and Rabbi Stern's people are accusing Rabbi Lau of a conflict of interest, in light of the submission of the candidacy of his brother, the rabbi Moshe Chaim Lau.
It should be noted that in addition to the Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Yitzhak Ralbag, the Chief Rabbi's father-in-law, also serves as a member of the Chief Rabbinate Council.
The office of Rabbi Lau issued a statement in response to Haredim10: "Chief Rabbi Lau informed the Chief Rabbinate's legal advisor this afternoon that since his brother is among the candidates for the position of Rabbi of Jerusalem, he is withdrawing from the entire election process and will not be involved in it at all. Any claim and request on the subject will be handled in accordance with the rules in force in the Chief Rabbinate.".
A response had not yet been received from the Ministry of Religious Services by the time of publication of this news item.
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