List of chief rabbis of Israel and Mandatory Palestine facts for kids
The Chief Rabbi of Israel is an important religious leader. This special position started when the British ruled the land that is now Israel, and it continued when the State of Israel was created. There are actually two Chief Rabbis: one for the Ashkenazi communities, whose families mostly came from Europe, and one for the Sephardic communities, whose families came from North Africa and the Middle East. In recent times, this role has become more involved in politics than just religion.
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What is the Chief Rabbinate?
The Chief Rabbinate of Israel is the main religious authority for Jewish people in Israel. It was set up to provide religious guidance and leadership for all Jewish communities. Because Jewish people come from different parts of the world, they have slightly different customs and traditions. To respect these differences, there are two Chief Rabbis:
- The Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi leads the Ashkenazi community.
- The Sephardic Chief Rabbi leads the Sephardic community.
These two rabbis work together to make important religious decisions for the country.
Important Religious Leaders: Chief Rabbis
Here are the people who have served as Chief Rabbis in Israel.
Ashkenazi Chief Rabbis
| No | Portrait | Name | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Abraham Isaac haCohen Kook (1865–1935) |
1921–1935 | First Chief Rabbi during the British Mandate |
| 2 |  |
Yitzchak haLevi Herzog (1888–1959) |
1936–1959 | Was Chief Rabbi of Ireland before this role. He was the first Chief Rabbi of the State of Israel. His son, Chaim Herzog, became a President of Israel. His grandson, Isaac Herzog, is the current President of Israel. |
| 3 |  |
Isser Yehuda Unterman (1886–1976) |
1964–1973 | Served as Chief Rabbi in Liverpool and Tel Aviv. |
| 4 |  |
Shlomo Goren (1917–1994) |
1973–1983 | Served as Chief Rabbi of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) before this. |
| 5 |  |
Avraham Shapira (1914–2007) |
1983–1993 | |
| 6 |  |
Yisrael Meir Lau (born 1937) |
1993–2003 | He is the father of David Lau, who is also a Chief Rabbi. |
| 7 | .JPG) |
Yona Metzger (born 1953) |
2003–2013 | |
| 8 |  |
David Lau (born 1966) |
2013–present | He is the son of Yisrael Meir Lau. |
Sephardic Chief Rabbis
| No | Portrait | Name | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Yaacov Meir (1856–1939) |
1921–1939 | First Chief Rabbi during the British Mandate. |
| 2 |  |
Ben-Zion Uziel (1880–1953) |
1939–1953 | First Chief Rabbi of the State of Israel. |
| 3 |  |
Yitzchak Nissim (1896–1981) |
1955–1973 | His son, Moshe Nissim, was a member of the Israeli parliament (Knesset) and a government minister. |
| 4 |  |
Ovadia Yosef (1920–2013) |
1973–1983 | He was a very important spiritual leader and helped start the Shas political party. He is the father of Yitzchak Yosef. |
| 5 |  |
Mordechai Eliyahu (1929–2010) |
1983–1993 | |
| 6 |  |
Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron (1941–2020) |
1993–2003 | |
| 7 |  |
Shlomo Amar (born 1948) |
2003–2013 | He is related to Yitzchak Yosef by marriage. |
| 8 |  |
Yitzchak Yosef (born 1952) |
2013–present | He is the son of Ovadia Yosef. He is related to Shlomo Amar by marriage. |
The Chief Rabbinate Council
The two Chief Rabbis also lead a group called the Chief Rabbinate Council. This council is made up of other important rabbis, often those who lead major cities or regions in Israel.
The council has several important jobs:
- They give out kosher certification, which means they approve food and products as being prepared according to Jewish law.
- They approve rabbis who can perform wedding ceremonies.
- They appoint rabbis to lead cities and towns.
- They appoint religious judges who serve in special Jewish courts called a Beth Din.
Here are some of the current members of the council:
- Rabbi David Lau—the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi
- Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef—the Sephardi Chief Rabbi
- Rabbi Shimon Elituv—Chief Rabbi of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council
- Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu—Chief Rabbi of Safed, and son of former Chief Rabbi, Mordechai
- Rabbi Eliezer Simcha Weiss—Rabbi of Kfar Haroeh
- Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman—Chief Rabbi of Migdal HaEmek
- Rabbi Yehuda Deri—Chief Rabbi of Beersheba, brother of a member of the Israeli parliament, Aryeh, and related to Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar by marriage
- Rabbi Yitzchak Levi—Chief Rabbi of Nesher
- Rabbi Ratzon Arusi—Chief Rabbi of Kiryat Ono
- Rabbi Yitzhak Peretz—Chief Rabbi of Raanana
- Rabbi Yitzhak Ralbag—He used to be the chairman of the Jerusalem Rabbinate council and is related by marriage to Chief Rabbi David Lau.
- General Rabbi Eyal Karim—Chief Rabbi of the Israel Defense Forces
- Rabbi Yaakov Rojza—a neighborhood rabbi in Bat Yam and part of ZAKA (a volunteer rescue organization)
- Rabbi Aryeh Stern—Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem
- Rabbi Yaakov Shapira—He is the head of the Mercaz HaRav religious school, and son of former Chief Rabbi, Avraham.
Chief Rabbis of the Armed Forces
Besides the main Chief Rabbinate, there is also a special position for the Chief Rabbi of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). This person is a military officer with the rank of Brigadier General (Tat Aluf). They provide religious services and guidance to soldiers in the Israeli army.
| Term | Portrait | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1948–1971 |  |
General Rabbi Shlomo Goren (1917–1994) |
Later became the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel (1973–1983). |
| 1971–1977 |  |
General Rabbi Mordechai Piron (1921–2014) |
|
| 1977–2000 |  |
General Rabbi Gad Navon (1922–2006) |
|
| 2000–2006 |  |
General Rabbi Yisrael Wiess (born 1949) |
|
| 2006–2010 |  |
General Rabbi Avihai Rontzki (1951–2018) |
|
| 2010–2016 |  |
General Rabbi Rafi Peretz (born 1956) |
He later led a political party called The Jewish Home. |
| 2016–present | .jpeg) |
General Rabbi Eyal Karim (born 1957) |
He is also a member of the Chief Rabbinate Council. |
Images for kids
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Rabbi Yaacov Meir, the first Sephardic Chief Rabbi during the British Mandate.
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Rabbi Ben-Zion Uziel, the first Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel.
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Rabbi Yitzchak Nissim.
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Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, a very influential Sephardic Chief Rabbi.
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Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu.
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Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron.
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Rabbi Shlomo Amar.
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Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, the current Sephardic Chief Rabbi.
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General Rabbi Mordechai Piron.
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General Rabbi Gad Navon.
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General Rabbi Yisrael Wiess.
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General Rabbi Avihai Rontzki.
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General Rabbi Rafi Peretz.
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General Rabbi Eyal Karim, the current Chief Rabbi of the IDF.
