Chief rabbi

Yitzhak Yosef condoled the families of the five soldiers killed in Gaza's Beit Hanun in an open letter, calling for increased Torah study, implicitly denouncing haredi draft attempts.

Israel Hofsheet also demanded the particular provision of transport options to the around 150,000 Israelis stuck abroad after Israeli airspace was closed at the start of Operation Rising Lion.

After sparking religious backlash, the Israel Antiquities Authority agrees to rebury ancient Western Wall stones, affirming their status as sacred relics subject to Jewish law, not museum pieces.

It must be asked: What qualities does he display now, halfway through his seven-year term? How does he envisage his legacy, compared to that of other Herzogs?

The Prime Minister's Office responded to the remarks, criticizing them as "unacceptable and deserving of complete condemnation."

The continued erosion of trust in the rabbinate risks polarizing and marginalizing Judaism within Israeli society even further. The new chief rabbis have a historic opportunity to reverse this trend.

President Herzog, the grandson of the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of the State of Israel, hosted Rabbi Kalman Ber and Rabbi David Yosef.

Smotrich’s support for Halevi is in contrast to the committee he himself established with rabbis from the religious Zionist community.

A highly abridged version of the daily Dust & Stars.

Ireland's newest chief rabbi has stepped up during a time of conflict and uncertainty, especially amid Ireland's staunch criticism of Israel.