Sephardic Jews
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Fast Forward David Lau and Yitzhak Yosef Elected New Israeli Chief Rabbis
A special electoral assembly on Wednesday elected Sephardi Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef and Ashkenazi Rabbi David Lau as Israel’s next chief rabbis, after weeks of a controversial and tense candidacy period. The two chief rabbis will hold office for the next decade. Both are sons of former chief rabbis: Yosef’s father is Shas spiritual leader Ovadia…
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Fast Forward Israeli Chief Rabbis To Be Elected Today
The two new chief rabbis of Israel will be elected in Jerusalem Wednesday by 150 electors. The rabbis will hold office for the next decade. Among those electing the rabbis, one Ashkenazi and one Sephardi, will be cabinet ministers, MKs, rabbis, mayors, religious court judges, heads of local religious councils and representatives of the general…
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Fast Forward Portugal Town Gets First Torah Scroll in 500 Years
For the first time in centuries, a Torah scroll will be installed in the northern Portuguese town of Trancoso, where many Jews lived before the 16th century. The Torah scroll was scheduled to be installed Sunday during the dedication of a new Jewish learning center, the Isaac Cardoso Center for Jewish Interpretation, the Portuguese news…
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Fast Forward ‘Racist’ Rabbi Urged To Drop Sephardic Bid
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein informed Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu on Monday evening that it would be inappropriate for him to run for the post of Sephardi chief rabbi, in light of certain contentious remarks and the “legal difficulties” posed by his candidacy. Eliyahu, the current chief rabbi of Safed and the son of former Sephardi Chief…
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Food Where To Get a Jewish Bite in Montreal
Heading north to Montreal this summer? If you’re not, you should be. Aside from being the three months out of the year when the city doesn’t look like a snow globe, summertime is festival time in Montreal. From June until mid-September, the newly laid-out Place des Festivals is aglow with lights, sounds, crowds, music and…
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Opinion Revolt Grows Against ‘Racist’ Chief Rabbi Bids
The race for Sephardic chief rabbi of Israel keeps getting uglier. The lead contender, Safed’s municipal Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, is the subject of a legal investigation by state attorney general Yehuda Weinstein. Weinstein’s action comes in response to a formal complaint by Labor Party lawmaker Eitan Cabel over Eliyahu’s 2010 ban on sale or…
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Fast Forward ‘Don’t Sell to Arabs’ Rabbi Backed in Israel Race for Sephardic Chief
Most of the members of the Jewish Home Knesset faction support the election of Safed’s chief rabbi, Shmuel Eliyahu, as Sephardic chief rabbi of Israel. The MKs have voiced their support despite criticism of Eliyahu’s candidacy even within the religious Zionist movement because of racist statements he has made in the past. Haaretz checked and…
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Fast Forward Meir Soloveichik Takes Helm at Shearith Israel
Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, the scion of a revered rabbinic family, is the new spiritual leader of the country’s oldest Sephardic synagogue, Congregation Shearith Israel. The synagogue, also known as the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, announced the hire in a news release June 10. Soloveichik is the grandson of Ahron Soloveichik and the great-nephew of Joseph…
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Opinion Gavin Newsom just confirmed the demise of the Democratic party’s support for Israel
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Culture I had a shot and rock ’n’ roll fame — I chose a lifetime of Shabbat instead
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