Drama in the elections for the Chief Rabbinate: Ashkenazi candidates are undecided, Rav David Yosef is Rishon Letzion

The Sephardic elections for the Rishon Letzion produced a predictable result. Rabbi David Yosef, the brother of former Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, continued the family’s long tradition of rabbinic distinction that began when his father, Rav Ovadia, became Chief Rabbi in 1973. Rabbi Yosef received 72 votes, beating Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu (43) and Rabbi Michael Amos (21).

Rav David Yosef Shlita

However, there was no overall winner in the Ashkenazi elections, as Rabbi Kalman Ber (Rabbi of Netanya) and Rabbi Micha Halevi (Rabbi of Petah Tikva) both received 40 votes from the committee, while Rabbi Meir Kahane (Av Beis Din of Ashkelon) received 30 votes Rav Moshe Chaim Lau (brother of the former Chief Rabbi) received 21 votes and Rabbi Eliezer Igra received only 6 votes.

The tie means there should be another vote in a week between Rabbi Ber and Rabbi Halevi to determine who will be the Ashkenazi chief rabbi. However, in a further twist to the drama, Rabbi Halevi’s supporters claim that there was another vote for him that was mistakenly placed in the Sephardic rabbis’ envelope and that therefore he had 41 votes and was technically the winner. The matter will be referred to legal opinion, but it is likely that there will ultimately be another vote for the Ashkenazi chief rabbi.