Minister of Religious Affairs Michael Malkieli sent an official letter to Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion asking him to select representatives for a committee to oversee the selection of new chief rabbis for the city.
This is the first step in deciding the new chief rabbis of Israel's capital.
The Jewish people's eternal capital currently has no chief rabbis after Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar and Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Aryeh Stern ended their terms.
The elections for the chief rabbi of Jerusalem are seen as a significant crossroad since it would be the first city of several that will choose a new rabbi in the coming months.
Notable candidates
Several leading rabbis are expected to run for Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, including Rabbi Yigal Cohen, Rabbi Zamir Cohen, and Rabbi Gideon Ben-Moshe. Each one brings with them years of rabbinic experience and a range of work in the field of Torah.
Among the expected Ashkenazi positions, several candidates stand out, including former Chief Rabbi of Israel David Lau, his brother Rabbi Moshe Haim Lau from Netanya, Rabbi Yitzhak Neriya, dean of Yeshivat Torah Betzion in Efrat, Rabbi Ben Tzion Kook from Jerusalem, and the rabbinic judge Rabbi Mordechai Ralbag.