The Rebbe during an audience with the Israeli Chief Rabbis.

Who Will Chabad Rabbonim Support for Chief Rabbi?

The election for new Chief Rabbis of Israel is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, 17 Menachem Av, 5773. The voters, numbering 150 delegates, will vote in the Leonardo Jerusalem Plaza Hotel on King George Street.

The question many are asking is: who will receive the votes cast by the 13 Chabad rabbonim taking part in the election?

From the Yeshiva World News:

It appears the Chabad rabbonim who are counted among the 150 voters selecting Israel’s new chief rabbis are likely to select Rabbi Yaakov Shapira and Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu.

Leading Chabad Rov/Posek Rav Tuvia Blau, who heads the Chabad community in N’vei Yaakov, published a letter calling on the Chabad rabbonim to vote for these two rabbonim. He adds that “it appears to me these are the only two candidates that any of the non-frum voters among the 150 will not vote for.”

It is significant to point out the rav’s letter is not a directive, published under the banner “a point for reflection”. The rav reminds his colleagues that the Rebbe regarded the Chief Rabbinate of Israel the “Rabbanut of the Government,” well aware of the system by which they are elected. Nevertheless Rav Blau decides to give his input regarding the upcoming election, citing שבהשגחה פרטית the Chabad rabbonim are included in the group of 150.

Some of the points highlighted by Rav Blau:

1) These two rabbonim are friends and maintain an excellent working relationship with one another.

2) Their Yiras Shomayim precedes their Chochma.

3) It is known that the two possess vast Torah knowledge.

4) They have expressed daas Torah regarding issues at hand without any hesitation.

5) Their pristine reputations are above reproach.

6) Above all, the relationship they maintained with the Rebbe ZYA. Their admiration for the Rebbe on the one hand and his mutual feelings for them.

Rav Blau is confident that if elected, the two will carry on the work of their late fathers, OBM.

The Chabad-affiliated voters include:

1. Rabbi Mordechai Ashkenazi (Rav Kfar Chabad and Av Beis Din Chabad)

2. Rabbi Yochanan Gurary (Chief Rabbi of Holon and member of the Chabad Beis Din)

3. Rabbi Moshe Havlin (Chief Rabbi of Kiryat Gat/Sderot

4. Rabbi Meir Suissa (A Member of the Beersheva Rabbanut)

5. Rabbi Shlomo Diskin (Chief Rabbi of Kiryat Ata)

6. Rabbi Shmuel Elituv (Chief Rabbi of Mevassert Tzion and the Binyamin Regional Council)

7. Rabbi Yosef Hecht (Chief Rabbi of Eilat and a member of the Chabad Beis Din)