Rabbinic Statement of Concern
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat is reportedly backing the candidacy of Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu to the post of Chief Rabbi. Rabbi Eliyahu’s history of divisive statements and actions is, unfortunately, a matter of long record.
Prominent rabbinic voices from all streams of American Judaism are serving as convening signers on a letter of concern, which we will deliver to Mayor Barkat in advance of the upcoming election for Jerusalem Chief Rabbi. Several of the mayor’s appointees sit on the municipal commission that elects the chief rabbi, and that is the reason we are directing our sentiments to him.
We need to let Mayor Barkat know that appointing a rabbi with a history of extremist, exclusionary behavior as Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem sends exactly the wrong message.
Rabbis are invited to sign onto the statement below.
Prominent rabbinic voices from all streams of American Judaism are serving as convening signers on a letter of concern, which we will deliver to Mayor Barkat in advance of the upcoming election for Jerusalem Chief Rabbi. Several of the mayor’s appointees sit on the municipal commission that elects the chief rabbi, and that is the reason we are directing our sentiments to him.
We need to let Mayor Barkat know that appointing a rabbi with a history of extremist, exclusionary behavior as Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem sends exactly the wrong message.
Rabbis are invited to sign onto the statement below.
שַׁאֲלוּ, שְׁלוֹם יְרוּשָׁלִָם; יִשְׁלָיוּ, אֹהֲבָיִךְ
Seek the welfare of Jerusalem; those who love you shall prosper. (Psalms 122:6)
To the Honorable Nir Barkat:
We, rabbis serving Jewish communities throughout the world, write to express our concern regarding the possible nomination of Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu to the post of Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem.
As Israel’s capital and the center of our spiritual lives, Jerusalem has special significance to Jewish communities the world over. But Jerusalem’s special status does not blind us to your challenges. In a city too often divided between Jews and Arabs, and between various streams of Orthodox, liberal and secular Jews, we must seek leaders who would work to unite the city’s peoples for amity and progress.
Rabbi Eliyahu has a history of divisive and controversial statements and actions. He took the lead in issuing a halachic ruling forbidding Israeli Jews to lease property to Arabs. He opposes military service in the IDF for women. He has characterized Arabs and Muslims in racist, derogatory language. And he was deemed unfit for the office of Chief Rabbi of Israel by Israel’s Attorney General.
Mayor Barkat, you bear the responsibility for ensuring that Jerusalem is a prosperous and welcoming city for all its inhabitants. We believe that Rabbi Eliyahu’s ascension to the chief rabbinate would send a signal of intolerance and divisiveness at a time when Jerusalem cries out for unity and social justice. The position of Chief Rabbi in Jerusalem has been vacant for many years.
As you consider filling this position, please consider the deep connection to Jerusalem among Jews worldwide, and the symbolic nature of a Chief Rabbi’s tasks, which should indeed exemplify a light unto the nations and a sensibility worthy of the unique history and meaning of the city.
Respectfully, there are already hundreds of signatures!
We, rabbis serving Jewish communities throughout the world, write to express our concern regarding the possible nomination of Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu to the post of Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem.
As Israel’s capital and the center of our spiritual lives, Jerusalem has special significance to Jewish communities the world over. But Jerusalem’s special status does not blind us to your challenges. In a city too often divided between Jews and Arabs, and between various streams of Orthodox, liberal and secular Jews, we must seek leaders who would work to unite the city’s peoples for amity and progress.
Rabbi Eliyahu has a history of divisive and controversial statements and actions. He took the lead in issuing a halachic ruling forbidding Israeli Jews to lease property to Arabs. He opposes military service in the IDF for women. He has characterized Arabs and Muslims in racist, derogatory language. And he was deemed unfit for the office of Chief Rabbi of Israel by Israel’s Attorney General.
Mayor Barkat, you bear the responsibility for ensuring that Jerusalem is a prosperous and welcoming city for all its inhabitants. We believe that Rabbi Eliyahu’s ascension to the chief rabbinate would send a signal of intolerance and divisiveness at a time when Jerusalem cries out for unity and social justice. The position of Chief Rabbi in Jerusalem has been vacant for many years.
As you consider filling this position, please consider the deep connection to Jerusalem among Jews worldwide, and the symbolic nature of a Chief Rabbi’s tasks, which should indeed exemplify a light unto the nations and a sensibility worthy of the unique history and meaning of the city.
Respectfully, there are already hundreds of signatures!
