Kalman Meir Bar
Rabbi Kalman Meir Bar קלמן מאיר בר | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Title | Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel |
| Personal | |
| Born | Kalman Meir Bar Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Denomination | Orthodox |
| Jewish leader | |
| Predecessor | David Lau |
| Began | 2024 |
| Other | Chief Rabbi of Netanya |
| Residence | Netanya |
Kalman Meir Bar is an Israeli rabbi who served as the Chief Rabbi of Netanya. In the 2024 election for the Chief Rabbinate of Israel Bar was elected to serve as the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel, alongside Sephardic Chief Rabbi David Yosef.[1]
Biography
[edit]Bar was born in 1957 in the Yad Eliyahu neighborhood in Tel Aviv.[2] He is the son of Miriam Ita, a descendant of Rabbi Akiva Eiger through his grandson Rabbi Leibel Eiger and the Izhbitza-Radzin Rebbe.[3] His father Emanuel Bar, a grandson of the Przedbórz Rebbe and a descendant of Rabbi Klonimus Kalman Epstein, the "Maor VaShemesh", after whom Bar was named.
Bar studied at the high school yeshiva in Netanya headed by Rabbi Simcha HaCohen Kook. In 1975 he began studying at the Hesder yeshiva Kerem B'Yavneh.[4] He served in the IDF in the Nahal Brigade and then in the reserves. During his years at the yeshiva he studied the writings of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook.[citation needed]
Alongside his position in the yeshiva, he served as head of the girls midrasha at Kibbutz Hafetz Haim and rabbi of Talpiot College.[citation needed] In addition, he served in a rabbinical mission as the head of the Yavneh yeshiva in Antwerp, as well as the rabbi of the Mizrachi community "Rabbi Amiel".[5] In the past, he presented a Torah segment on Kol Chai radio and now he presents a weekly Torah segment on Kikar HaShabbat.[citation needed]
Chief Rabbi of Netanya
[edit]At the end of 2014, after 26 years in which no one held the position, Bar was elected to serve as Ashkenazi chief rabbi in the city of Netanya.[6] In the elections for the position, he received the support of the Jewish Home Party, the Rebbe of Sanz, and Mayor Miriam Feirberg.[7] [8]
As part of his position, Bar established the kashrut system "Bahidor Kashrut" within the kashrut system of the Netanya rabbinate.[9][10]
Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel
[edit]In 2024, Bar ran in the elections for the Chief Rabbi of Israel for the post of Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi.[11] Bar's candidacy was backed by the United Torah Judaism, as well as Rabbis Yaakov Shapira, Mordechai Greenberg, Aryeh Stern[12], Eitan Eizman, Aharon Friedman, David Stav[13] as well as other rabbis from the Merkaz HaRav, Kerem B'Yavneh circles.[14]
In the first round of elections held at the end of September 2024, Bar received 40 votes, alongside Rabbi Micha Halevi, rabbi of Petah Tikva, who also received 40 votes. In the second round of elections held on October 31, 2024, Bar was elected to the position with a majority of 77 of the votes of the voters, compared to 58 who supported Rabbi Halevi.[15]
Family
[edit]His brother Rabbi Moshe Avraham Bar serves as the Ashkenazi rabbi of the Yad Eliyahu neighborhood in Tel Aviv.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ "Rabbi Kalman Bar appointed new Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi".
- ^ "לשכת הרב הראשי". mdn.org.il.
- ^ "רבנים ואדמו"רים בניחום אבלים אצל רבה של נתניה". חב"ד אינפו (in Hebrew). 20 June 2019.
- ^ "לשכת הרב הראשי". mdn.org.il.
- ^ "לשכת הרב הראשי". mdn.org.il.
- ^ "Rav Kalman Ber, the New Chief Rabbi of Netanya". kby.org.
- ^ "Chief Rabbi Appointed in Netanya After 26 Years". www.theyeshivaworld.com. 30 December 2014.
- ^ "ראיון ראשון: הבשורה על פי רבה החדש של נתניה". www.makorrishon.co.il.
- ^ "מחלקת כשרות". mdn.org.il.
- ^ "הרב קלמן בר: נביא את מהפכת הכשרות בנתניה לרבנות הראשית". www.inn.co.il.
- ^ "Kalman Ber picked as Ashkenazi chief rabbi in run-off vote". The Times of Israel.
- ^ "הרב אריה שטרן: תומך ברב קלמן בר". www.inn.co.il.
- ^ "Divisive, long-delayed election for chief rabbi to proceed Thursday". The Times of Israel.
- ^ "ישיבת כרם ביבנה מתאחדת סביב הרב קלמן בר". www.inn.co.il.
- ^ "Rabbi Kalman Bar appointed new Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi".
- ^ "קלמן בר". ויקיפדיה (in Hebrew). 31 October 2024.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Kalman Meir Bar at Wikimedia Commons