B"H
Who is the recognized chief Rabbi of America today?

There never was such a person except for R. Yaakov Yoseph (RJJ) in the early 1900s. This appointment proved to be a disaster for him and would probably be one for anyone else who had that title.

Was RJJ the chief Rabbi of America or just of NY? I think it's the latter.

quote:

America or just of NY?

Particularly in the early 1900's....

Is there a difference?

see: http:// New York Magazine / cover-197? . html

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Kopinsky:
Was RJJ the chief Rabbi of America or just of NY? I think it's the latter.

Michael is right.

View the following URL:
http://www.tzemachdovid.org/gedolim/ravyaakovyosef.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Rabbi


To David:

I'm curious to know what promted the question.

I don't know what purpose there is for a cheif Rabbi. All he would be is a figure head without too much authority (just like in Israel and in England)

quote:

Originally posted by Shaya:
I don't know what purpose there is for a cheif Rabbi. All he would be is a figure head without too much authority (just like in Israel and in England)

My dear friend, Shaya,

I think you stand to be corrected here. In Yemen, the chief Rabbi was usually the President of the Rabbinic Court that served in the capital city, San'a. He wielded a lot of authority. He was not only a public "figure head," but also a real spiritual guide and benefactor, and one who served in dissolving disputes, as well as in answering difficult halachic questions that arose in the community.

In Israel, chief Rabbis have often gone on to serve in even greater capacities. Rav Israel Lau, for example, went from chief Ashkenazi Rabbi to serve as a judge in the Rabbinic Court of Appeals, the highest rabbinic court in the country. Rav Ovadia Yoseph continues to "dazzle" our minds with his thorough handling of complex halachic issues, teaching via satellite to thousands of his followers on each Motzei Shabbos. So, the function of Chief Rabbi has its place in our society.

David

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Rav Ovadia Yoseph continues to "dazzle" our minds with his thorough handling of complex halachic issues

True, but I don't think his status is because of his being Chief Rabbi, and he would be the same authority if he was never Chief Rabbi.

True Rabbi Lau is a great Talmid Chachum, but as far as authority as a Rabbi is still not looked at as in the same leauge as Rav Elyashiv etc. and wouldn't be listened to if he argued with them. So, whether or not someone's an official Chief Rabbi or not, his Halachic authority would depends on his own merit and not his position

B"H

Shaya, Shalom!

I would have to agree with you in your comparison of the two Rabbis (Rav Elyashiv and Rav Lau). On the other hand, wouldn't you think that a person who was normally selected to serve as Chief Rabbi of a country would have to have had some merit of his own? Is this not worthy of our commendation? Why do you think the people would be better off without a Chief Rabbi?

David

The idea of chief rabbi is recent. Prior to the 15th century or so the leading halachic authority was the head of the court. Rabbi who were heads of yeshivot generally stayed out of halachic decisions for the community. The non-jewish governments pushed the idea that there be one leader of the Jewish community whom they could force to collect the taxes. In Russia, there was a whole system of government rabbis whom the general population considered negatively.
In philadelphia we had two people claiming to be Chief Rabbi.
In generally, the Chief Rabbi is not chosen for his halachic prowness but his ability to adminstrate the kashrut and deal with the non-jewish authorities. Why Israel decided on the European system of government Rabbis and not an independent system representing the community is a matter of history. It is not a good idea to have the Rabbinate associated with the government as many people are needlessly antagonized.
The main concept is based on Marah Datrah, i.e. for the last two thousand years, there was just one Rabbi in a geographical area who made halachic decisions for the area.

Aryeh Shore

I have a question to add onto the one already being asked - how is a chief rabbi chosen, if there is to be one?

Each european country has a an official Jewish body who elects the Chief Rabbi. (In France, it dates from the time of Napolean.) In most countries this is established by law. In Israel, there is a full system of the Rabbinate funded by the State. The Chief Rabbi is elected by a committee consisting of Rabbis who serve in some official capacity and some general representatives of the government. In the US and South America where there is separation of the Church and State, there is no official mechanism. In some American cities, the Jewish community is organized into a body which selects and pays the salary of the Chief Rabbi however in most places, there is no chief rabbi and if someone wants to call himself chief rabbi, that is his business.
In general, the important Rabbinical function is not cheif rabbi, which does not exist in Jewish law but the Head of the Jewish Court. In general, even in America, each area tries to have just one Bet Din or Rabbinical court. We do have a concept of the main Rabbi of a location whom no body was allowed to challenge any of his rulings in his area (marah datra). However with the massive dislocation of the Jews in the last century, this idea is not widely used.

Aryeh Shore

Aryeh Shore

quote:

Each european country has a an official Jewish body who elects the Chief Rabbi.

I wonder, who is the chief rabbi in Ireland?

JPost happens to have posted:

Irish census form omits box for Jews

The article you linked names him as Chief Rabbi Ya'acov Pearlman

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Originally posted by laurence shore:
In some American cities, the Jewish community is organized into a body which selects and pays the salary of the Chief Rabbi

Which US city has a Chief Rabbi today?

St. Louis has long had an organized kihila (at least a hundred years) with a chief rabbi who is in charge of the hashgacha, mikvot and schools.
In Phila., as I said, at one time,two Rabbanim called themselves chief rabbi. Nobody elected them. Back in the first part of the last century, the idea calling someone the chief rabbi was more popular.
In many American cities, there is a committee called the Vaad HaRabbanim who handle the Beit Din and the Kashrut. Most prominent being the Vaad HaRabbanim of Boston.
In small towns, the Rabbi of the Synagogue usually handles the Kashrut. If he needs a Bet Din, he usually sends the Ger or the Divorce Case to a Bet Din in the nearest big city, but there is nothing stopping any Rav from getting together with two other Rabbanim and making a Bet Din.

Aryeh