(IsraelNN.com) The French Jewish community has a new chief rabbi: Rabbi Gilles Bernheim, 56, who heads France's largest synagogue, the Ashkenazi Synagogue de la Victoire in Paris.

Rabbi Bernheim has the equivalent of a doctorate in philosophy and is known as an "intellectual." In a 184-99 vote of nearly 300 rabbis and communal leaders on Sunday, he defeated the outgoing "down-to-earth" Rabbi Sitruk. Both rabbis are Orthodox.

The partially-paralyzed Rabbi Sitruk, who now concludes three consecutive seven-year terms as Chief Rabbi, had defeated Rabbi Bernheim in a previous election for the position.

The position of Chief Rabbi of France, established by Napoleon in 1808, features no administrative authorities, but has important symbolic authority of spiritual leadership for the 600,000-strong Jewish community.

Rabbi Bernheim, the co-author of a book that recounts his conversations with a prominent French Cardinal, will assume office on January 1.

"Rabbi Sitruk was very popular," a former member of the French Jewish community told Israel National News, "but he is no longer in top form, after the stroke he suffered a number of years ago.  He brought many people back to observant Judaism with his casual style.  But Perhaps Rabbi Bernheim will raise the level even more."