Israel's High Court Orders Government To Explain Its Inaction Against Top Rabbi's Hateful Remarks

 Times of Israel and Jerusalem Post report that on Tuesday Israel's Supreme Court, sitting as the High Court of Justice, issued a temporary injunction ordering the government to explain why it has not taken disciplinary action against Jerusalem's Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar for the severely derogatory remarks he has made about Reform Judaism, the LGBTQ community and the Women of the Wall Movement.  For example, Amar has blamed small earthquakes in Israel earlier this year on the LGBTQ community and has called Reform Jews "evil people who do every injustice ... against the Torah." Petitioners-- the Reform Movement, the Women of the Wall, and the Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance-- say they have asked the government to take action 16 times in the last four years, but nothing was done.

Israel's Chief Rabbinate Urged To Allow DNA Evidence To Prove Jewish Descent In Some Cases

In Israel, the official Chief Rabbinate determines whether a person is Jewish under Orthodox Jewish religious law.  This determination is relevant to issues of marriage and burial in the country. Yesterday's Jerusalem Post reports that a leading Orthodox rabbi who is co-head of the Eretz Hemdah Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies has submitted to the Chief Rabbinate a scientific report that suggests a Mitochondrial DNA test should be allowed as an alternative method for some women to prove that they are Jewish.  Mitrochondrial DNA is inherited only through the mother, and 40% of Ashkenazi Jews have specific genetic markers showing descent from one of four Jewish women who settled in Europe over 1000 years ago.

Israeli Former Chief Rabbi Reaches Plea Deal In Bribery Case

Times of Israel reported last week that Israel's former Ashkenazi chief rabbi Yona Metzger has reached a plea deal with Israeli prosecutors.  He will plead guilty to fraud, theft, conspiracy, breach of trust, money laundering, tax offenses and accepting bribes, in exchange for a reduced jail sentence.  Metzger was charged with receiving NIS 10 million ($2.6M (US) at current exchange rates) in bribes, and keeping NIS 7 million for himself. As previously reported, the bribes came, among others, from wealthy businessmen seeking to convert to Judaism, and for other services he performed in his role as Chief Rabbi. Many of the bribes came in the form of donations to non-profit organizations tied to Metzger.

Israeli Civil Court Orders Chief Rabbinate To Release List of Foreign Rabbis Whose Testimony It Will Accept

In Israel on Wednesday, Jerusalem district court Judge Nava Ben-Or ordered Israel's Chief Rabbinate to release its internal list of rabbis in other countries whose affidavits will be recognized for purposes of proving Jewish identity.  Residents who have moved to Israel from abroad can only have access to a Jewish marriage ceremony or Jewish burial in Israel if they are formally recognized as Jewish by the Rabbinate.  According to the Times of Israel:

In her decision, Judge Nava Ben-Or declared herself “shocked” by the apparent lack of transparency in this matter most central to everyday existence.

“This is a person’s life, we’re talking about very serious matters,” she said, describing a situation in which people wait indeterminately for the rabbinate to decide their fates, saying they hear nothing and are not being answered.

“It is a right to start a family,” Ben-Or said. “I am ashamed that in a functioning state this information cannot be provided. It is an unprecedented scandal. It is not Jewish, and inhumane.”

Israel's Rabbinate Loosens Religious Constraints On Hotels

In Israel, the chief rabbinate, under pressure from the organization Hiddush that promotes freedom of religion, has lifted a number of non-food related requirements that were in the past imposed on hotels in order for them to have their food and restaurants certified as kosher.  Haaretz reports that the Chief Rabbinate announced last Thursday that it has suspended former requirements that prohibited hotels from displaying Christmas trees, that prohibited Jewish employees from accepting money on the Sabbath and barred filming events on hotel premises on the Sabbath.

Former Israeli Chief Rabbi Indicted For Bribery

YNet News reported yesterday that Israel's former Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yonna Metzger has been indicted for bribery, fraud and money laundering.  Israeli authorities charge that Metzger received bribes totalling 10M NIS ($826,000 US), of which he personally kept 70%.  The bribes came, among others, from wealthy businessmen seeking to convert to Judaism, and for other services he performed in his role as Chief Rabbi. Many of the bribes came in the form of donations to non-profit organizations tied to Metzger. (See prior related posting.)

Former Israeli Chief Rabbi Arrested On Bribery Charges

In Israel, the country's former Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Yona Metzger was arrested by police today on charges of bribery, money laundering, obstructing an investigation, and fraud.  Haaretz reports that police suspect Metzger, as chief rabbi, took bribes totaling millions of shekels (1 NIS= $0.28 US) from non-profit organizations in exchange for advancing their interests. In June, as Metzger neared the end of his term as chief rabbi, it was initially announced that he was under investigation. (See prior posting).