ISRAEL
Haaretz
Regardless of suspicions surrounding Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger, the upcoming election should not revolve around who the next chief rabbis will be, rather what the next Chief Rabbinate will be.
By Yair Ettinger | Jun.21, 2013
Was the timing pure coincidence? Any rabbi worth his salt would surely say that the grave suspicions against Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger, coming on the eve of the election for his successor, are God’s way of sending a message − for instance, “Don’t appoint a rabbi out of narrow and extraneous political considerations.” Or “Don’t create a rabbinate whose purpose is to enrich its members.”
Or maybe the message is simpler and sharper than that. Perhaps it’s that the time has come to do one of two things − either dismantle the Chief Rabbinate or revamp it from head to toe.
What’s nice about these messages is that all of them are equally valid even if Metzger comes out of this case as pure as the driven snow. It must be remembered that during the course of his 10 years in office, he has already survived several investigations and inquiries into his conduct, without a single indictment.
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