Under no circumstances should Rabbi Lau even be considered to represent Israel as its next president. Its bad enough he is so- called "chief" rabbi of Tel Aviv, which is absurd and obscene as it is. If anything, they should have a reform or Conservative rabbi represent Tel Aviv; while- without question, someone who accepts the equality of women, gay rights, and who recognizes the that the majority of Jews in Israel/World are NOT Orthodox, should be the next president of the State of Israel.

The Rabbi is the right person for President. He is a man of God. In times like this when Israel is facing alot of challenges especially an existential threat from her dark enemies, having a President who is also a man of God is the best choice. It is time for those skeptics and secularists to read their Holy Bible and know the God of the Jewish people. He is also the God of the Holy Bible and the Creator of the Heavens and the Universe. You will find that when the Israelites turned to their God for help and protection, no enemies could prevail against them. The God of the Holy Bible is still the loving God that David knew and wrote about in his Book of Psalms. He still cares for His people. Israel will do very well in confronting their enemies when they turn to their God--the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for help.

and he never asked for payment. I am an american, my wife israeli. I come from a completely non religious family, my wife from a moderately religious one. He did a great job. No issues with him at all, only respect for him.

Should an Imam or a Priest also be considered for the Presidency of the State of Israel? Israel is only 80% Jewish, not 100%. Even Muslim countries dont have Imams as the head of their states. (except for Iran with the Supreme Ayatollah) A Rabbi's view does not necessarily reflect the views of Muslims and Christians or even all Jewish people for that matter.

The author of this article states: "As part of some research I conducted for the Tzohar organization – a group of rabbis that conduct weddings free of charge – I found that most people feel rabbis should not charge for performing weddings because it is a mitzvah to do so." As far as I know, there is no prohibition for anyone "charging" money to do a Mitzvah except, maybe, for a teacher to teach Torah. A Shochet can charge for slaughtering - which is a Mitzvah. A Mohel can charge for circumcising a baby - which is a Mitzvah. A Tefillinmacher can charge for making Tefillin - which is a Mitzvah. and so on. By giving the impression that there is something wrong or unethical for a rabbi to take money for performing a wedding, the author is perpetuating a false and misleading concept in the mind of the public. The difference is only if he is receiving a salary for providing such services. If his salary does not cover weddings, why should he not take money?

and actually win more votes than his opponent but according to you an orthodox Jew cannot run for the ceremonial post of President of Israel. I guess Americans are capable of looking past and beyond someone's religious observances but Israelis cannot.

>Should an Imam or a Priest also be considered for the Presidency of the State of Israel? Hey, I don't know, why don't we ask Jimmy Carter?

You're wasting your time bubele. They are in love with their hatred of Rabbis /hareidim/ datiyim/mitnachlim/kippot / religious beards/dati schools/traditionalshabbat/ kashrut/modest dressing/ large families etc. Anything that fans their jealousy, they hate it.

to Talibanisrael.

sounds like the chulent calling the chicken soup fattening

What a gorgeous catch phrase, I'm gonna use that. But don't let them know I'll wait 6 hours, its bound to upset them.

So the next President should have no Jewish values? Perhaps you would like teh job Gene.

Israel is a patchwork of minorities and has no majority. In fact, the largest sector in Israel is traditional - neither religious or secular (though the sephardim have a tendency to send their kids to religious schools). As a result, the author's notion that he "doesn't represent Israel" is nonsese. There is no one Israel to represent. In fact, there are more devoutly religious than devoutly secular Israelis once the traditional are removed from the equation. Does excluding the religious from sharing in these posts represent the real Israel as it puts forth a face that pretends they do not exist? He's a citizen in good standing. He represents a major minority in a nation comprised of minorities. They have as much right to have someone in the chair once in a while as everyone else. Unless, of course, the lefts liberal values apply only to themselves.

Putting aside the question if Rabbi Lau is appropriate for the presidency, I want to ask Moni to "enlighten" the readership on what he actually meant when writing the following lines: MM: "Rabbi Lau showed no leadership, and never dared clash on a practical level with the sickos in the religious world." Seems Moni has a real bone to pick with the religious population. MM: "The presidency... should be reserved for philosophers." I wonder if anyone agrees that this should be the criteria for the presidency. I can go on and on..just read the article and laugh!

YOu said "Rabbi Lau is not corrupt, but he has taken (apparently not insignificant) payment for officiating at weddings. This makes me, and many others, sick." Well, if you admit he's not corrupt, why bring it up? You're just itching to call him corrupt, but you know you'd get called out on that, so you try to call him corrupt without saying it directly. Weak, really weak. And who are you decide if others feel sick or not?

Moni Mordechai used to be the General Director of "Peace Now", the radical left-wing organization that featured the likes of Yossi Beilin and Shulamit Aloni, among other sickos such as Uri Avneri and his kin. I would take his opinion regarding Rabbi Lau with a BIG grain of salt. I mean, do you really expect a radical leftist to support a Rabbi for presidency?

I don’t usually agree with Reuven, but this time I find his comments spot on. The article is plainly malicious, the author obviously has very little respect or understanding of Jewish traditions and values. He obviously thinks you can just bin them as long as you agree with him. I can see that he really covets the role of Chief Rabbi and learned Posak. Thankfully we can afford to ignore this self opinionated pompous nobody.

...he has being appointed. Probably he will serve as a puppet to govt. goals. Must be "interesting"for the actual Israel's moment to put a Rabbi on the job. I would support such idea,but as Moni says, for a sincere and courageous Rabbi.

knowledge no Western democracy has ever had an elected leader or an appointed one who was a "man of the cloth". This idea must be shelved, it is a recipe for disaster. It will cause untold of social friction.

and no way, no bloody way in the world should we have a rabbi as president. they done enough damage already.

Crappy article. Ms Mordechai please vent your hatred at some other venue please. We are tired of reading lame journalism at Ynet. Israel is a country in which polls indicated that 62 % keep kashrus and a modicum shabat traditional approach. So, if someone could trully represent us, here's the man. -" I am concerned about the fact that this man's hunger cannot be satiated. He jumps from job to job, instead of viewing each job he does as "the job of his life." " -you said. Hunger dear?? That a person has a need to work, both for his own needs and as a means of serving his community, and a need to improve from job to job - is "hunger" in your eyes ? Get a life! Once I heard Rabbi Lau personally upon the innaguration of a very liberal orthodox synagogue next to my house. Even though it's orthodox, I doubt it fits his lifestyle. Yet in his speech only words of praise for the congregants and their particular ways were herd. This comes in useful 'cause you said it wouldnt represent olim. He mentioned how these american born congregants were at higher spiritual level than him, even though he looks more religious. He said, sth like "you came here , you left a wealthy country, environment, came to war, and all of this out of CHOICE, unlike me, he said. My gosh, these words will stick with me forever! You said " he took no brave public steps to resolve the religious-secular conflict or the crisis over Jewish identity. " Peres and co did anything on that matter??? NO. Rabbi Lau did. Another time, in a painful ceremony downtown J'lem in the presence of the bodies removed from gaza cementery he again praised the only kind of public fighting and participating against the leftist's evacuations, ethnic cleansings, (he meant kipa sruga - while maybe chastizing the non massive presence of hareidim and hilonim) These are just a few examples ...as for you Crappy article

He was born in 1937, in the Polish town of Piotrkow Trybunalski. His father, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Lau, was the last Chief Rabbi of Piotrków and died in the Treblinka death camp. Lau was freed from the Buchenwald concentration camp in 1945. There are reports that he was the youngest prisoner liberated from Buchenwald.1 His entire family was murdered, with the exception of one older brother, Naphtali Lau-Lavie, and an uncle already living in Israel. He and his brother immigrated in July 1945, and he was ordained a rabbi in 1971 Only the anti Jews anti religeous in Israel object to such an appointment. to the author go get stuffed.

As a leftist (and a proud one) who believes in a separation of church and state and as a yehudi chafshi (free Jew) who believes in the right of each generation to define the nuances of its traditions, I see nothing wrong with a man or woman of the cloth (or streimel) being President of the state. In this particular case we have a Rabbi whose ideology and behavior deligitimates other forms of religious or secular practice. He cannot be with any credibilty be the President of all the people. By the same token Katzav's petty refusal to call non-orthodox rabbis rav should be equally disqualifying... reform and Conservative Rabbis are ordained in the same unbroken string of smicha going back to talmudic times. their tradition hapenned to diverge 150 years ago or perhaps it was haredi orthodoxy which diverged?