About two years after the approval of the first phase of the kashrut reform of the previous Minister of Religion Matan Kahana, the "Religious Zionist" party canceled the changes in the state's kashrut system.
The section that will be repealed refers to the opening of the option for city rabbis to give kashrut to shops and restaurants outside the scope of their local authority, an option that was opened during Kahana's time.
Now the previous situation will return, that the rabbinate of a city will be able to distribute kashrut certificates only to institutions located in their municipal territory.
In addition, the "Law of the Rabbis of the Cities" of the Chairman of the Constitution Committee Simcha Rothman and MK Erez Malul (Shas) which was read in advance was published in an updated version that includes significant changes. Following criticism among sections of the public, the religious Zionist faction that leads the law decided to be attentive to those votes and cancel the clause that anchored the appointments of hundreds of neighborhood rabbis.
Rothman: "To strengthen the power of the residents in electing rabbis"
The law is currently being debated in the committee in preparation for its first reading and tomorrow (Wednesday) there will be another debate on the updated version which states that the Minister of Religion will be able to appoint one or more neighborhood rabbis in a city where a city rabbi serves and where there are over 50,000 residents. In the religious Zionist faction, they emphasize that the law leads to a significant change, and will progress the discussions in the committee in a responsible manner while listening to the public's voices on the subject.
MK Simcha Rothman said: "After many discussions, we decided that the issue of neighborhood rabbis will be dropped from the law at this stage and will be regulated. Since we have been short of city rabbis and neighborhood rabbis for many years now, the Ministry of Religion should first start appointing city rabbis and then come up with a more mature staff work to determine the criteria for appointing neighborhood rabbis. In addition, since we decided to strengthen the power of the residents in electing city rabbis, it is only natural that a city rabbi will not be able to give kashrut outside of the city he was chosen to."
