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Involve clientele in choosing Jerusalem’s chief rabbi

:: ynet :: It has been widely reported that rabbis identified with the Orthodox Zionist camp are busy working to choose a chief rabbi for Jerusalem. At the head of the search commission is a presidium made up of three prominent rabbis, none of whom are residents of Jerusalem.

I strongly recommend that the three rabbis – Yaakov Ariel, Aaron Lichtenstein and Chaim Druckman – listen attentively to Ms. Rachel Azariah, who called for involving women in the search process, and to Rabbi Yisrael Rosen who called for appointing more Jerusalemites to the search commission.

In addition I would like to suggest that the commission formally include representatives of the "clientele" in the process. Is it conceivable that in a country where the citizens have voted for the prime minister (at least once), vote for mayors and municipal council members, vote for their neighborhood leadership (as in Jerusalem), determine a good deal of the curriculum taught in their children's schools, the constituency, should be excluded from choosing their own chief rabbi?

All over the world, members of Jewish congregations choose their own rabbis. This is the case in all Israeli Conservative and Reform congregations and, to a certain extent, in modern Orthodox synagogues. This phenomenon will grow in Modern Orthodox circles in Israel, especially since, Yeshiva University pledged to assist the Tzohar Rabbinic Organization establish independent synagogues.

Throughout Israel, Synagogues function as non-profit organizations, operating budgets with fiscal responsibility, often employing their own rabbi and synagogue staff. The congregations know well what they expect from their Rabbi and are familiar with the Rabbinic search process. It’s about time that we abolish this very centralistic method of choosing the chief rabbi which totally excludes the residents of Jerusalem from the process.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, was quoted as saying, “It is most important that the candidate knows how to represent the Zionist Jerusalem community and be sensitive to the needs of the secular, the traditional, the national religious, women and Diaspora Jewry."

How could the candidate to be elected possibly know how to successfully represent all those in Barkat's list if he is clueless about what the Jerusalemites expect from their rabbi?

In Jerusalem today there are active and vibrant Masorti, Reform, Modern Orthodox, and other independent institutions that ordain non-Orthodox Rabbis. Is it logical that the members of the search commission should forget that the chief rabbi of Jerusalem must recognize the various streams of Judaism functioning in Jerusalem, and work with them as "everyone's" chief rabbi? How can one forget to include tax paying, loyal Jerusalem citizens in the search for the Chief Rabbi?

MK Nachman Shai, formally one of the leaders of UJC of North America, put it this way: "The chief rabbi together with the mayor and the city council must create a bridge between Jerusalem and Diaspora Jewry."

Symbol of Jewish unity and true bridge builder

The chief rabbi of Jerusalem has to know that like other elected officials he too is a civil servant, who receives his salary from the "federal shekel". The rabbi has to understand that he is accountable to all those he serves. If he is to be a symbol of Jewish unity and a true bridge builder he must be respectful to those with whom he disagrees.

It is expected of him to be and exemplar of tolerance and respect for those holding diverse halachic opinions. He must teach Jerusalemites how to agree to disagree, to part as friends while continuing to dialogue.

In order to stand up to the challenge and choose “everyone's" chief rabbi, the search commission must hear the clientele in order to define the character and role of the ideal chief rabbi for Jerusalem, a city with a diverse Jewish population. Involving the public in choosing the chief rabbi will work to effectively influence the rabbi's understanding that he is indeed accountable to those he serves.

Involving people in the process will promote a deeper respect and understanding of the role of the rabbi in today's world and create the foundation for successful dialogue between the rabbi and the Jewish citizens of Jerusalem and Diaspora Jewry.

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