Givat Shmuel City Council Delays Rabbi Selection Due to Need for In-Person Meeting

The Givat Shmuel municipality has announced it cannot hold a city council meeting by phone or orally at this stage, delaying the process of selecting the city rabbi. In a letter from city CEO Gabi Hadad to Yehuda Avidan, CEO of the Ministry of Religious Services, Hadad explained that the city council must convene physically to advance the selection procedure. The municipality requested the Ministry to provide the list of 11 ministerial representatives for the selection committee, which is needed for consultation before the full council meeting planned for the end of the month.

Due to these delays, no concrete date has been set for choosing the new city rabbi, and the process is expected to be postponed legally until after the upcoming Knesset elections. Hadad emphasized the importance of receiving the ministerial representatives' list in advance to present it to the council during the forthcoming meeting and to promote the appointment of a successor to Inbal Parkash. The city is committed to continuing the process in accordance with legal requirements but insists on a physical meeting to proceed.