Rabbi Rafi Peretz was joined by his Lubavitcher family members at his official inauguration ceremony as Chief Rabbi of the Israel Defence Forces.
Israel’s High Court approved his nomination, despite a petition against it, citing an accident in which 2 soldiers fell from a helicopter he was piloting.
The state claimed that the incident was not enough of a reason for him not to be chosen, Ynetnews reported.
Many rabbis and public officials attended the ceremony held in the Davidson Center near the Kotel in Jerusalem.
Also present were Peretz’s uncle Rabbi Leibel Bistritzky and cousins Rabbi Schneur Bistritzky who flew in from the U.S. and Rabbi Mordechai Bistritzky of Tzfas.
Peretz thanked them for coming and related how he visited the Rebbe “dozens of times” with his late cousin Rabbi Levi Bistritzky, Chief Rabbi of Tzfas.
and tell soldiers to obey evil orders to surrender land and guns to our enemies
may he have lots of hatzlacha in his new post and be a good rabbi for the army!
did anyone else notice the sign on the podium? how come the symbol of the rabbanut hatzva’it has the shameful rounded luchos on it? i wonder if anyone could change it…