Due to regulations adopted by former Minister of Religion Matan Kahana, six Israeli city rabbis will step down.
The new rules, recently enacted, require city rabbis to be under 80 and limit their terms to two 10-year periods. The Council of the Chief Rabbinate expressed surprise at the decision.
Among those stepping down are 93-year-old Rishon Lezion Rabbi Yehuda Wolf, 89-year-old Eilat Rabbi Moshe Hadai, and 83-year-old Ashdod Rabbi Yosef Sheinin. These regulations also affect the body that elects the Chief Rabbis of Israel, leading to replacements due to mandatory retirements.
The Council of the Chief Rabbinate has urged the Ministry of Justice to cancel these regulations, stating, "We are surprised by the immediate termination of several city rabbis without prior notice, despite their decades of public service and indefinite terms."
