Israel's Chief Rabbi Cites Legal Barrier at Ordination Ceremony for 60 New Rabbis

A formal ordination ceremony was held last night for 60 new rabbis and legal decisors who passed their examinations, with Sephardi Chief Rabbi David Yosef presiding alongside Rabbi Gideon Ben Moshe and other senior rabbis and judges. The event was described as festive and emotionally charged, marking the new rabbis' acceptance of the responsibilities of religious leadership.

Behind the scenes, however, the ceremony was affected by legal restrictions and major traffic disruptions. During the distribution of the ordination certificates, it emerged that although Rabbi Yosef had originally been expected to sign the certificates by hand, his name did not appear on them as an official signer.

In his remarks, Rabbi Yosef addressed the issue directly and told those present, "At the outset I was supposed to sign the certificates myself, but this crazy state forbids me to do so." The remark referred to the limitation that prevented him from signing the documents as planned.

The ceremony was also supposed to include Rabbi Shlomo Machpud, a member of the Council of Torah Sages, as well as other senior rabbis who had already confirmed their attendance. They were forced to turn back because of severe road closures and massive traffic jams in the area, caused by a vehicle protest, which left them unable to reach the event. Despite the disruptions, the ceremony ended on an uplifting note with the new community rabbis formally accepting their role.