Edah HaChareidis

The Charedi Council of Jerusalem (

• Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, who was succeeded by
• Rabbi Zelig Reuven Bengis, who was succeeded by the
• Satmar Rebbe, Grand Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum
  . Rabbi Teitelbaum emigrated to the United States, but retained his position as chief of the OCJ. Teitelbaum's nephew, the late Grand Rabbi
• Moshe Teitelbaum of Satmar, was given the title of President upon Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum's death

Meanwhile, in 1945, the Edah parted ways with Agudat Yisrael. The lay leader of the body for many years was Gershon Stemmer, until his death in early 2007.

Anti-Zionist ideology

The anti-Zionist stance of the Edah HaChareidis is ideologically derived from the book

The state-run "Chief Rabbinate" recognizes marriage and divorce performed by the Edah's rabbinic court, per a settlement hearkening back to British rule. Yet, like all those performed by non-governmental bodies, converts to Judaism who convert through the Edah's courts are neither recognized nor eligible for citizenship under the Law of Return.^[3]

In 2002, the rabbinical leadership of the Edah wrote a complementary introduction to Vayoel Moshe. The introduction mentioned: "and it is necessary to learn about this subject [of Zionism]... the holy book Vayoel Moshe will open [its readers'] eyes to see [the reasons behind] all troubles and horrors of our time, and will prevent readers from being drawn after the Zionist heresy, may the Merciful One save us."^[4]

In 2006, during a campaign against the participation of Haredim in the Israeli parliamentary elections, the Edah accused the Zionists of having played a role in the Holocaust.^[5]

In March 2008, an article in the Edah's newspaper HaEdah blasted the "first Hasidic police officer" and the newspapers who had praised him, and called for him to be thrown out of the Haredi world. It referred to him as presenting his children to

Molech. Addressing him personally, it said: "and even if you are great in your own eyes, you are worth nothing and an embarrassment to us"; and: "We will continue our continuous war, the days of which are the same as the days of the existence of the Zionist entity, against them and against everything you represent."^[6]

Influence

Followers of the movements that constitute the Edah HaChareidis mainly live in the northern areas of Jerusalem (from

Mishkenos HoRoim. The Edah HaChareidis publicizes a weekly magazine called HaEdah ("The Edah"), written in Hebrew. This magazine is used to publicize the views of the leadership of the Edah HaChareidis on various issues, as well as articles on Jewish thought, including the weekly Torah

portion and biographies of deceased leaders of the Yerushalmi community.

In response to day-long Haredi protests in Jerusalem in 2009, Israel's then-President Shimon Peres described the Edah as "a radical minority".^[7]

Kashrut supervision

The Edah HaChareidis is known for its high standards in rabbinical supervision of

kosher food, and is considered to be one of the strictest hechsheirim in Israel. It is often simply known as the hechsher of the "Badatz", which stands for Beis Din

Tzedek (literally, "Court [of] Righteous Law"), the standard term for a rabbinical appeals court. Products certified by the Edah are marked with the logo of the Edah.

Rabbinical court

Historically, the court is headed by both a Chief Rabbi, called the "Gaavad" גאב"ד, and by the Head of Rabbinical Court, called a "Raavad" ראב"ד. The "Raavad" is the first person in the line of succession of the "Gaavad", and would usually ascend to the role of "Gaavad" upon his death or resignation.

The following lists prominent members of the Edah's rabbinical court:

Chief Rabbis

1. 1919–1932: Rabbi
   Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld
   (1849–1932)
2. 1932–1948: Grand Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, First Dushinsky Rebbe (1867–1948)
3. 1947–1953: Rabbi Zelig Reuven Bengis (1864–1953)
4. 1953–1979: Grand Rabbi
   Satmar
   (1887–1979)
5. 1979–1989: Rabbi Yitzchok Yaakov Weiss (1901–1989; author of Minchas Yitzchak, formerly of Manchester Beth Din, England)
6. 1989–1996: Rabbi
   Chassidei Satmar
   )
7. 1996–2002: Grand Rabbi Yisroel Moshe Dushinsky, Second Dushinsky Rebbe (1921–2003; son of Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, listed above)
8. 2002–2022: Rabbi
   dayan of the Machsike Hadass community, Antwerp, Belgium
   )
9. 2023–Present: Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch^[8]

Presidents

1. 1953–1979: Grand Rabbi
   Satmar
   (1887–1979)
2. 1979–2006: Grand Rabbi
   Satmar
   (1914–2006)
3. 2006–2021: Rabbi Dovid Soloveitchik, rosh yeshiva of Brisk (1921–2021)

Past members

• Rabbi Pinchas Epstein
• Rabbi Yisroel Yaakov Fisher (1928–2003), author of Even Yisroel
• Rabbi Moshe Halberstam (1932–2006)
• Rabbi Chanoch Dov Padwa (1908–2000)
• Rabbi
  Binyomin Rabinowitz
• Rabbi
  Chasidei Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok
  )
• Rabbi Yaakov Blau (1929–2013)
• Rabbi Naftoli Hertzke Frankel (1939–2017), Dayan of Badatz

Present members

• Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, Head of Rabbinical Court ראב"ד
• Rabbi
  Chasidei Satmar
  )
• Rabbi Avrohom Yitzchok Ulman (Chasidei Dushinsky)
• Rabbi Yaakov Mendel Yuravitch
• Rabbi Yehuda Bloi

Affiliated rabbis

• Rabbi Moshe Sacks, of Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok
• Rabbi Yaakov Meir Shechter

References

External links

• Statements against Zionism by the Edah Chareidis