Rabbi Eyal Zionov, who has made headlines over the past week for appearing in public dressed in a turban and cloak that nearly precisely resemble those worn by the Rishon Lezion (Sephardic chief rabbis), has announced that he will cease to dress in that manner.
The agreement was reached during a phone call between Rabbi Zionov and Avraham Doron, the chairman of the Council of Sephardi and Oriental Communities in Jerusalem.
During the call, Zionov clarified his position and offered a compromise that would enable him to maintain respectable rabbinical attire, but one that does not mislead the public or that offends the institution of the Chief Rabbinate. He committed to cease appearing in the cloak decorated with gold and silver embroidery, which has characterized the unique apparel of the Rishon Lezion since the Ottomans ruled the Land of Israel.
Additionally, the unique headwear will be void of the diagonal stripe, which serves as a signifier of the current Sephardic Chief Rabbi.
Council chairman Doron confirmed that there is no legal or religious prohibition to wear a simple rabbinical cloak that lacks official symbols of power, and commended the decision to end the saga.
Zionov, who has a significant presence on TikTok, began to make national headlines last week when his attendance at the state opening ceremony for Israel's Independence Day confused many, leading them to believe he was the Chief Rabbi. This included the director of the official broadcast from the ceremony, who focused the camera on him several times.
A week prior, a visit by Zionov to the Temple Mount, which, according to the Chief Rabbinate, is forbidden, even managed to confuse Shin Bet officials, who called the Chief Rabbi's office to complain that the visit was not coordinated.
Since the initial reports, Zionov has been spotted at locations not often frequented by rabbis, including a Tel Aviv nightclub and a soccer match.