Paris – 51 year-old Chaim Korsia has been elected as new Chief Rabbi of France during a Sunday general meeting of the Central Consistory in Paris.
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LA-CROIX.com (http://bit.ly/1imzk9b) reports that Korsia, who has served as Jewish Chaplain General of the Armed since 2007, beat rabbinical school director Olivier Kaufmann 131-97 in a second-ballot vote held at the Palais des Congrès .
As a former student, and now successor to Grand Rabbi Giles Bernheim, Korsia said his life’s path has prepared him for the job.
“My whole career has prepared me for this,” said Korsia, who has previously studied under not only Rabbi Bernheim, but under Chief Rabbi Joseph Sitruk for seven years as well.
Korsia said his time spent with Grand Rabbi Bernheim taught him to “be fully aware of the importance of the missions of great Rabbi of France.”
Korsia, who has an extensive academic background, including a Ph.D. in contemporary history, said “unity” is the key word to his approach, and that he will continue, as always, to “speak to the whole of society.”