The Chief Rabbinate of Israel Council held its first meeting since being elected. The rabbonim addressed the recently passed law that permits nationwide regional marriage registration.

The rabbonim addressed the issue of religion and state and the rabbis are calling on Deputy Minister of Religious Services Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan to work with the council and to refrain from making any changes to matters pertaining to religion and state without the council’s approval. The rabbonim are asking the ministry to refrain from acting independent of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.

The rabbonim praised Rabbi Ben-Dahan, who announced earlier in the week after the Ministerial Law Committee approved the Giyur Bill that he would not move it along until such time the chief rabbis give their approval.

At the meeting the Chief Rabbinate Council appointed Rabbi Yuval Tuvol, who heads the Rabbinate’s Giyur Unit, to conduct an inspection on behalf of the Chief Rabbinate of the nation’s marriage registration offices towards certifying their compliance with Halacha and state guidelines. The council will also study the recent state comptroller’s report addressing marriage registration.

The rabbonim also discussed plans in the works to prepare for 5775, which is a shmitah year. This entails cooperation between a number of state agencies, including the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, the Ministry of Religious Services, Ministry of Agriculture and the NGO representing of the nation’s farmers.

Also discussed was how to handle businesses that lost their rabbinate hashgacha due to severe kashrus violation, such a selling treif.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)