Sydney Rabbi exonerated
An article published in The Jerusalem Post this week has caused an upset among Sydney’s orthodox rabbinate.
Rabbi Ritchie Moss
The article states that The Chief Rabbinate has compiled a blacklist of some 160 rabbis from around the world, including many Orthodox rabbis, whose authority to approve Jewish and marital status it rejects.
Graduates of haredi (ultra-Orthodox) yeshivot are also on the blacklist, along with Conservative and Reform rabbis.
Rabbi Aron Moss known by the community as Rabbi Richie Moss of the Nefesh Community in Sydney was surprised to find himself named on the list.
“I think there was a mistake made in Israel and I am not worried about it” he told J-Wire.
Rabbi Moss directed J-Wire to Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, a Senior Dayan of Sydney’s Beth Din for further clarification.
Rabbi Ulman stressed that the bureaucrat who compiled the list has been reprimanded. Rabbi Ulman has received an official email letter from the office of the Chief Rabbi apologising for the distress caused by an unauthorised clerk.
“All correspondence from Sydney to the Chief Rabbinate has to go through the Sydney Beth Din and Rabbi Moss, who is a very respected member of the Rabbinate, follows this rule. We have a very organised system here and all letters concerning conversions, marriages or someone’s Jewish status go through our Beth Din.
“This affair has been most insulting to Rabbi Moss and the letter I received explains that the published list was not an authorised list and included an apology to Rabbi Moss.
“Announcements have been made to this effect” he said.
Rabbi Ulman said it was not a pleasant thing to read about even though it was untrue.
