The Ministry of Religious Services announces today (Tuesday) the holding of elections for the position of Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv-Yafo. This comes after the approval of the Tel Aviv City Council plenum. The election date has been set for Thursday, 8th of Nisan, 5786 (March 26, 2026). The electoral body will convene in the Tel Aviv Religious Council hall, at 1 Uri Street, to determine who will be the spiritual figure to lead the city in the coming years. The polling stations will be open between 15:00 and 17:30, immediately after which the dramatic vote count will begin.
The election process is entrusted to a professional and independent committee, headed by member of the Great Rabbinical Court, retired judge Rabbi Yaakov Zemir, shlit”a. The committee’s work is coordinated by the committee secretary, Mr. Tzuriell Porat.
No less than 20 candidates submitted their candidacies, and 18 received approval from the election committee and will compete for the city’s rabbinate. This is a record number of candidates, reflecting Tel Aviv’s centrality as a paramount spiritual and public hub.
Director General of the Ministry of Religious Services, Mr. Yehuda Avidan, stated upon the publication of the decision: “The Ministry of Religious Services has acted to ensure a democratic, transparent, and dignified selection process, befitting the status of a major city in Israel. I thank the committee chairman, His Honor Judge Rabbi Yaakov Zemir. Our goal is one: to provide the tens of thousands of city residents with a rabbi who will unite the ranks and serve as a spiritual address for all sectors.”
Related Topics
