Italy –
According to a report in La Repubblica Torino The Jewish community in Turin has dismissed its chief rabbi for being too rigidly Orthodox.
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In an unprecedented move for Italian Jewry, Rabbi Alberto Somekh was removed following three years of acrimonious debate and more than a year after the Turin Jewish community, which is largely secular or non-observant, announced its decision to dismiss him.
An orthodox rabbi who didn’t know how to balance strict religious rituals for a largely non observant community?–I can’t blame them. They need some Chabad people who go easy and make religion attractive for people who find it scary to be compulsive about every little ritual and chalacha.
What a shande
Mark my words in ten years unless the community accepts a frum rabbi it will completly demise.
Jews never last long without authentic not modernized tora observence, history can prove this.
he used to be the chief rabbi of Bologna Italy,
he left that position when the local community started making trouble to the Chabad Rabbi from whom he used to secretly buy meat because he didnt trust the communities Hechsher.
a good Jew who means well but who was put in a situation where the community only wants a puppet Rabbi and wouldn’t stand for it
Tofasta meruba- lo tofasta.
Who is the rabbi replacing him, and how does he differ halakhicly from the current rabbi?
Thats like being a little pregnant. No such thing. You either is or you aint.
Why does it have to be lubavitch that comes in. There are many qualified and competent rabbonim from Satmar and other chassidus who can make yiddeshkeit exciting for these Italian yidden.
His replacement will be Rabbi Denise Eggers. She currently heads the Southern California Board of Rabbis. There are 5 Orthodox Rabbis sitting on her board along with the Conservative, Reform, Reconstruction, Humanist, etc. How can frum (?) Rabbis sit with them??? She will be accompanied by her legally married WIFE!
Why do they need a “chief Rabbi”. Does NY, LA, Detroit, or other US cities have 1 chief Rabbi? It is impossible to have 1 rabbi who represents everyone. He should stay and lead his own shul with people who agree with him, and those who don’t should find a Rabbi that suits them.
al todin es chaverch… non of you were in his shoes and know exactly his nisyon in dealing with his community. I disagree with all 27 views.
The real problem was not that he is “too orthodox”, the Turin community recognizes itself as a part of italian orthodoxy. “The real problem was one of character, therefore pastoral and not ritual” said chief rabbi of Rome Riccardo Shmuel Di Segni.
Turin’s La Stampa newspaper has written about this as well, to correct the previous image the press had given.
All agree that rabbi somek is righteous, extremely learned and even open minded: however disagreements stemmed from issues were he rightfully wouldn’t and couldn’t bend Halacha: issues such as conversion of children from mixed marriages and such.
He is a good rabbi, Torino is a kehilla of well meaning Jews, it’s unfortunate that he couldn’t pull them to the bright side…
See!, Rav Sternbuch was much cleverer. In South Africa he allowed and indeed condoned and encouraged many things that he has now put in his sefer as ossur under any circumstances and to be avoided at all costs (e.g. chupas in shul and many others).
Since coming to Yerushalayim he has become one of the greatest machmirimin in the world and incidentaly (VERY INCIDENTALY:-)) one of the most respected Rabbonim.
The analogy is obvious.
Herewith encapsuled why the Eidah has lost its respect among all thinking erliche yidden
To number 11:
Had you not made your comment, would the world have come to an end?
Do you think your comment has brought Moshiach closer or perhaps pushed him away a bit?
It always amazes me how Loshon Horah is the world’s evil except when it’s against a certain segment of the population – then it becomes a Mitzvah…
I doubt that #11 had this in mind. But after all, if indeed Chabad are beginners in Judaism, then that is as it should be: בכל יום יהיו בעיניך כחדשים, every day we should feel the Torah as something new and exciting. By all means, then, let all Jews join together as “beginners”!
I am moving to Turin…My rabbi here in Brooklyn is also too frum..He does NOT let me talk while davening and closes the mikveh shabos at 10AM..