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February 3, 2017

With a Former Chief Rabbi in Jail, It’s Time for Israel to Rethink the Institution

The rabbinate has lost its constituency and is losing respect as well.

Yona Metzger, whose term as Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel ended in 2013, accepted a plea bargain earlier this week on charges of corruption and is now headed to prison. He stood accused of accepting bribes in exchange for conversions and the pocketing of money meant for charitable purposes; his other alleged crimes include breach of public trust, theft, money-laundering, tax violations, and conspiracy to commit a felony. Marc Angel reflects on the implications:

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February 3, 2017

  1. If Syrian Refugees Are the New Jews, Who Are the New Nazis?

    America’s shame is worse than anything that the protesters imagine.

  2. Stirring up Arab Outrage against a Move of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem May Not be So Easy

    Empty threats.

  3. How the Islamic Enlightenment Came and Went

    How 19th- and 20th-century Muslim intellectuals, clerics, and rulers attempted to come to terms with Western civilization.

  4. With a Former Chief Rabbi in Jail, It’s Time for Israel to Rethink the Institution

    The rabbinate has lost its constituency and is losing respect as well.

  5. Judaism Returns to Sicily

    Over 500 years after its expulsion.