The new haredi Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel David Lau secretly promised haredi leaders before his election that all of his rulings regarding conversions to Judaism would be submitted to notorious haredi Rabbi Avraham Sherman – the man who voided thousands of Zionist Orthodox conversions to Judaism in 2008 – for review before Lau issues them.
Ashkenazi Chaief Rabbi of Israel David Lau
Chief Rabbi Reportedly Made Deal With Anti-Zionist-Orthodox Conversion Hawks To Get Elected
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
The Israeli daily Ma’ariv has reported that the new haredi Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel David Lau secretly promised haredi leaders before his election that all of his rulings regarding conversions to Judaism would be submitted to notorious haredi Rabbi Avraham Sherman for review before Lau issues them.
In 2008, Sherman infamously ruled that thousands of conversions to Judaism done by Zionist Orthodox rabbis in the state’s conversion framework were invalid. Sherman issued that ruling at the behest of then-haredi leader Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv.
In a conversation with Ma’ariv, Sherman confirmed Lau’s deal with haredi leaders.
“Rabbi Lau told [Elyashiv’s former chief of staff] Rabbi [Yosef] Efrati that on all matters regarding conversions he would come to talk to me and consult in me before reaching a decision, because I have been involved in these issues as a confidant of Rabbi Elyashiv, and I am familiar with his rulings on these matters,” Sherman said.
Lau – who ran as a ‘moderate’ haredi who claimed he wanted to reach out to everyone, not just haredim, is now widely viewed as a liar who sold his soul to the proverbial devil to get elected.
Lau also made a racist remark about Black basketball players last week.
Earlier this week, Ma’ariv reported that a senior member of the rabbinate’s testing team that proctors and administers Smicha (ordination) exams had signed an affidavit asserting that Lau was given the exam questions and answers before he took his ordination test.
Lau is the son of former haredi Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel Yisrael Meir Lau.