Deputy Chief Rabbi Yehuda Avidan Urged to Strengthen Public Trust by Keeping Rabbinate Above Politics

Yehuda Avidan has been appointed as the acting CEO of Israel's Chief Rabbinate, with calls to prioritize professional standards over political considerations to restore public confidence. The appointment was praised by Rabbi Shmuel Sasson, a religious Zionist leader and Knesset candidate, who highlighted the recent kosher certification law as an example of successful depoliticization that benefited all Israeli citizens.

Rabbi Sasson referenced Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook's century-old warning against the rabbinate becoming entangled in partisan disputes, emphasizing that the rabbinate's role is to unite the Jewish people and serve as a national spiritual authority above political factions. He stressed the need to strengthen ties between the Chief Rabbinate and local rabbis by investing in professional training and creating merit-based appointment processes.

A key challenge identified is reforming the rabbinical appointment system, which has often been influenced by political and sectoral battles rather than community needs. Sasson advocates for a professional framework that includes representation from all Torah institutions, religious Zionists, Haredim, settlement rabbis, city rabbis, and community rabbis, ensuring appointments are based on Torah knowledge, leadership, and suitability rather than political affiliation.

He also called for greater inclusion of the religious Zionist community in the rabbinate's leadership and decision-making, not to replace one dominance with another but to create a broader spiritual leadership representing all parts of Israeli society. Sasson expressed confidence that the current Knesset will continue efforts to strengthen the Chief Rabbinate as a professional, national, and unifying institution serving all Israeli citizens.

The article concludes with well-wishes for Avidan's success, noting that his achievements will benefit both the Chief Rabbinate and the wider public.