Chief Rabbi Facts for Kids

"Chief rabbinate" redirects here. For other uses, see Chief rabbinate (disambiguation).

A Chief Rabbi (in Hebrew, Rav Rashi) is a special religious leader for the Jewish community in some countries or cities. Think of them as a main spiritual guide or a spokesperson for Jewish people in that area. Sometimes, governments appoint them to help with things like keeping records or connecting with the Jewish community.

Since 1911, Israel has had two Chief Rabbis: one for Ashkenazi Jews (who traditionally come from Eastern European backgrounds) and one for Sephardi Jews (who traditionally come from Spanish, Middle Eastern, or North African backgrounds).

While many cities in Israel have their own Chief Rabbis, it's less common in places like North America. However, some big cities, like Montreal, might have two Chief Rabbis, just like Israel, to serve their different Jewish communities.

Jewish law doesn't actually say there *must* be a "Chief Rabbi." This role mostly grew in Europe during the Middle Ages. Governments found it helpful to have one person to talk to about Jewish community matters, like collecting taxes. This idea might have come from how other religious leaders, like those in the Catholic Church, worked with governments.

Chief Rabbis Around the World

Many countries and cities have had, or still have, Chief Rabbis. Here are some examples:

Israel's Chief Rabbis

The role of Chief Rabbi in the Land of Israel has a long history. During the time when the British ruled the area (before Israel became a country), they recognized Chief Rabbis for both the Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities. These roles continued after Israel became an independent state. However, some Jewish groups, like the Haredi community, have their own rabbis and don't recognize the official Chief Rabbinate.

In Israel today, only four major cities (Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Beersheba) officially have Chief Rabbis. In other cities, there might be a main rabbi, but they don't hold the official "Chief Rabbi" title. Many of Israel's national Chief Rabbis were once Chief Rabbis of these cities.

Sephardi Chief Rabbis of Israel

Yaacob Meir (1921–1939)
Benzion Uziel (1939–1954)
Ovadia Yosef (1973–1983)
Shlomo Amar (2003–2013)
Yitzhak Yosef (2013–present)

Ashkenazi Chief Rabbis of Israel

Abraham Isaac Kook (1921–1935)
Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog (1936–1959)
Shlomo Goren (1973–1983)
Yisrael Meir Lau (1993–2003)
David Lau (2013–present)

Military Rabbinate in Israel

The Israeli army also has its own Chief Rabbis who provide religious guidance to soldiers.

Shlomo Goren (1948–1968)
Rafi Peretz (2010–2016)

United Kingdom and Commonwealth

The UK has had Chief Rabbis for a long time, especially for the Ashkenazi community. The Sephardi community has its own senior religious leaders, traditionally called Hahamim.

Ashkenazi Chief Rabbis of the UK

Aaron Hart (1704–1756)
Jonathan Sacks (1991–2013)
Ephraim Mirvis (2013–present)

Spanish and Portuguese Community Senior Rabbis (UK)

David Nieto (1701–1728)
Moses Gaster (1887–1918)
Joseph Dweck (2013–present)

United States

In the United States, a single "Chief Rabbi" for the whole country never really developed. This is because Jewish communities in the US were very independent, and the government didn't officially recognize one specific type of Judaism. However, some cities did have their own Chief Rabbis.

Jacob Joseph (1840–1902) was a well-known Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of New York City.
Jacob S. Kassin was the Chief Rabbi of the Syrian Jewish community in New York from 1930–1995.

Other Countries and Regions

Many other places around the world have had or currently have Chief Rabbis. Here are a few examples:

Argentina

Isaac Sacca (Sephardi, 1997–present)
Gabriel Davidovich (Ashkenazi, 2013–present)

Austria

Paul Chaim Eisenberg (1983–2016)

France

Joseph Sitruk (1987–2008)
Haim Korsia (2014–)

Hungary

József Schweitzer
Robert (Avrohom Yehudoh) Deutsch

Iran

Yedidia Shofet (1922–1980)
Yehuda Gerami (2011-present)

Ireland

Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog (1921–1937)
Yoni Wieder (2023-Present)

Morocco

Aaron Monsonego (1994–2018)
Yoshiyahu Pinto (2019–present)

Poland

Michael Schudrich (2004–present)

Russia

Adolf Shayevich (1983–present)
Berel Lazar (2000–present)

South Africa

Warren Goldstein (2005–present)

Turkey

Ishak Haleva (2003–present)

Chief Rabbis in Cities

Many cities around the world have their own Chief Rabbis, who lead the local Jewish community.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Pinchas Toledano (Sephardi, 2012–present)

Jerusalem

Jerusalem, being a very important city for Jewish people, has had many Chief Rabbis over the centuries.

Sephardi Chief Rabbis of Jerusalem

Moshe Galante II (1665–1689)
Shlomo Amar (2014–present)

Ashkenazi Chief Rabbis of Jerusalem

Meir Auerbach (?–1878)
Aryeh Stern (2014–present)

Edah HaChareidis (Jerusalem)

The Edah HaChareidis is a separate, independent religious community in Jerusalem. They have their own Chief Rabbis, who are seen by their followers as the main religious leaders of Jerusalem.

Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld (1919–1932)
Yitzchok Tuvia Weiss (2002–2022)

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Ashkenazi

Binyomin Weiss (2007–Present)

Sephardi

David Sabbah

New York, New York – United States

Jacob Joseph (1840–1902) was the only true Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of New York City.
Jacob S. Kassin was the Chief Rabbi of the Syrian Jewish community of New York from 1930–1995.

Paris, France

Michel Gugenheim (2012– )

Rome, Italy

Elio Toaff (1951–2002)
Riccardo Di Segni (2002–present)

"Grand Rabbi"

Sometimes, the term "Grand Rabbi" is used, especially in English, to refer to a Hasidic Rebbe. This is a spiritual leader of a Hasidic group, and it's a different role from a Chief Rabbi.

Chief Rabbi facts for kids

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