Everybody has an opinion about the Israeli rabbinate. Some people say that it is too frum, whereas others say that they are barely noticeable and not making enough of an impact. Some people say that it is controlled by strong pressure groups. They're right of course. Isn't everything in Israel controlled by pressure groups? Others say that it is too weak. They're also right, of course. They political system in Israel never allows any party or organization to be that strong.
Some people say that they should not make compromises on important issues. That's also true, but it is to be expected when decisions are made by political pressures. Some people say that it should be removed from politics. Again, that is true, but it's probably too late to make a change in the basic structure of the rabbinate. Some say that it should not be affiliated with the Ministry of Religions or with the local religious councils. That's also true and part of that problem was already handled because the Ministry of Religions has been closed down and the religious councils have indeed seen better days.
Every Jew - whether he lives in Israel or not - will give you a different answer to that question.
Of course. It's always important to be optimistic. Your optimism will be a good conversation starter and it will help you stand out from the the crowd of realists.
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Keywords: Institutions, Politics, Rabbis
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