New Elders

For most Orthodox Jews the world over, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel is the supreme spiritual authority in religious matters, and for Jews in Israel it also has full, legal jurisdiction over marriage and divorce. The two major divisions of Judaism--the Sephardim and the Ashkenazim--are each represented by a Chief Rabbi of their persuasion, and these two jointly head a council of five Sephardi and five Ashkenazi sages. Since 1959, the chair of the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi has been vacant; last week the 125-man Rabbinical Electoral College chose for the post Dr. Iser Judah Unterman, 77, white-bearded Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv-Jaffa and onetime Chief Rabbi of Liverpool. They also re-elected the Sephardi incumbent, Dr. Yitzhak Nissim, 68.

The election came after four years of haggling and politicking, and represents a victory for the conservative Orthodox forces in Israel, reflecting the attitude of the tradition-minded electoral college.

The division of Judaism into Sephardi and Ashkenazi communities dates back to the Middle Ages, when Spain and Germany were the main centers of Jewish culture. The Jews in Spain were known as the Sephardim (Spanish in Hebrew) and the German Jews were called the Ashkenazim (German in Hebrew). The differences between the two are mostly in custom and culture. For example, during Passover, the Ashkenazim are forbidden to eat rice and beans, while the Sephardim may eat both.

The two communities are not separate sects, however. Their members attend each other's synagogues, intermarry freely, and tension between them is nonexistent.

Religious Jews are a minority in Israel, but there are enough that the Chief Rabbis can keep hotels, restaurants, airlines and ships kosher by threatening to place them off-limits. The choice of Unterman and Nissim means that many of the religious strictures so galling to nonobservant Jews will continue. Telegraph service is curtailed on the Sabbath (Saturday) and on religious holidays, and in most cities and towns there is no public transportation. Except for a few Christian Arab areas, pork products are not for sale, although nonkosher shrimp is available. El Al airlines does not originate or terminate flights in Israel on Saturdays or religious holidays, and its galleys may serve only kosher food, a puzzlement to Gentile passengers, who find they must drink their coffee black after a meal of meat or chicken. Dr. Nissim recently earned considerable unpopularity when he forced the new Israeli liner Shalom to operate with kosher kitchens exclusively.

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