Elad is facing a storm of controversy after the city’s chief rabbi, Rav Shlomo Zalman Grossman, submitted an urgent petition to the Supreme Court against the Elad Municipality, Mayor Yehuda Botbol, and the Ministry of Religious Services following the city’s decision to end his tenure as the chief rabbi.
In his petition, Rav Grossman warns of the dangerous precedent being set, saying: “What will we answer if, in the future, a secular mayor in another city decides to dismiss the city’s rabbi? He will point to Elad as an example, and no one will know how to respond.”
According to sources, the conflict has roots going back several years, beginning during the tenure of former mayor Yisroel Porush. At the time, it became apparent that the city’s rabbonim were nearing the retirement age of 75. To avoid leaving Elad without rabbinic leadership, Porush convened the city council at the end of 2022 and proposed extending the rabbonim’s tenure as long as they were capable of serving.
This proposal was accompanied by a legal opinion from Professor Aviad Hacohen, a leading authority in the field, who stated that the rabbonim could remain in their positions after reaching the age of 75, receiving 60% of their current salary. Subsequently, in mid-2023, the city council revisited the issue and approved full continuation of their salaries at 100%.
Both decisions were passed unanimously, with the support of then-deputy mayor Yehuda Botbol and all members of the Shas faction at the time.
However, recently it was discovered that the words “100 percent” had been mysteriously removed from the official council protocols, and the recording of that meeting has also vanished from the municipal archives. This omission left the question of the rabbis’ salaries and employment status unresolved.
This summer, Rav Grossman turned 75. Expecting the municipality to uphold its prior commitments, he reached out to Mayor Botbol to confirm that his position was secure. Instead, according to those close to the matter, Botbol began avoiding communication and, when pressed, responded that there were “legal issues” preventing him from authorizing the continuation of the rabbi’s full tenure.
Botbol, citing advice from the municipality’s legal department, reportedly claimed that the previous approval only applied to keeping the rabbis in their positions but excluded salaries and associated benefits. Under this interpretation, the rabbonim would continue serving without pay, without an active office, and without assistants — a situation that Rav Grossman’s supporters have called “unthinkable.”
In recent weeks, Rav Grossman contacted members of the 2022 council session, and many signed statements confirming that the city council had indeed approved his continued service. A renewed legal opinion from Professor Hacohen also clarified that, even if the decision had not been finalized previously, the council could resolve the matter immediately by holding a vote to reconfirm his status.
Despite this, Mayor Botbol has repeatedly declined to bring the issue back to a vote, rejecting numerous requests from Rav Grossman’s representatives. Last month, the rov was informed that his municipal salary was being stopped immediately and that he must return the city-issued vehicle he had been using.
After exhausting all attempts to resolve the matter directly and following consultations with leading rabbonim, Rav Grossman filed an urgent petition with the Supreme Court demanding the immediate restoration of his status and full authority as chief rabbi of Elad.
Rav Grossman, a prominent talmid of Rav Elazar Menachem Man Shach zt”l, is one of the founders of Elad and has served as its chief rabbi since the city’s establishment over 25 years ago. Together with Rav Mordechai Malka, he helped build the city’s entire religious infrastructure, including kashrus services, mikvaos, batei din, batei horaah, tzedakah systems, and more. For decades, his home has been open around the clock to assist residents of the city.
Residents who spoke with us expressed shock at the developments. “It’s unthinkable that in a chareidi city, the mayor would act to dismiss the city’s rov,” one local said. “If this stands, what will we say when a secular mayor elsewhere points to Elad and does the same? No one will have an answer.”
The municipality responded, denying claims of wrongdoing. “The statements are incorrect,” the city said. “Mayor Botbol and the municipality are acting carefully and in full coordination with leading rabbonim regarding the tenure of the mara d’asra, out of deep respect for his contribution to the city. By law, his tenure ended at age 75, and Rav Grossman petitioned the High Court only after the Ministry of Religious Services determined that an extension was not legally possible. The city is preparing for all scenarios and will ensure that matters of religion in Elad remain under the oversight of the city’s rabbonim. We regret that such a sacred matter is being used as a political tool that disrespects the Torah and the rabbonim.”
However, Rav Grossman’s representatives countered that the municipality is ignoring a binding decision from November 3, 2022, when the city council — including then-mayor Porush, deputies Yehuda Botbol and Avraham Stern, other council members, the city treasurer, legal advisor, and CEO — unanimously passed a resolution stating: “We value and appreciate the work of the city’s rabbonim, who have faithfully served since Elad’s founding, were chosen with the approval of Gedolei Yisroel, and have tirelessly dedicated themselves day and night to strengthening and developing all religious services in Elad. Based on the legal opinion of Professor Aviad Hacohen, attached to the protocol, we hereby resolve that both of the city’s rabbis shall continue to serve, with Hashem’s help, until 120, in accordance with their wishes.”
The resolution passed unanimously, but Rav Grossman’s camp argues that the municipality is refusing to honor its own decision, forcing the matter into a legal battle now unfolding in Israel’s highest court.
{Matzav.com Israel}
