HaEdah HaCharedis

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The Edah HaCharedis (Hebrew: העדה החרדית HaEdah HaCharedis), also written Edah Haredit, is a prominent Haredi rabbinical body in present-day Jerusalem.

(It is unaffiliated with a similarly named, yet not as well known, Sephardi Edah HaCharedit.)

Logo of the Edah Charedis

1 History and Ideology
2 Kashrut supervision
3 Prominent members of the rabbinical court of the Edah HaCharedis
4 External References
5 External links

[edit] History and Ideology

The Edah was founded by Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld and Rabbi Yitzchok Yerucham Diskin (son of Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin, Rabbi of Brisk, Lithuania) in 1919, prior to the establishment of the Chief Rabbinate by the Zionist movement under British auspices. Rabbi Sonnenfeld was named the first Chief Rabbi of the Edah Charedis, a position he held until his passing in 1932, during the time when the Ottoman Empire's control over Palestine was weakening, and continued in its offices when the British took control after World War I under the British Mandate of Palestine. The British chose to create a new Zionist rabbinical hierarchy under the newly-created Chief Rabbinate of Palestine, which later became the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook became the first Chief Rabbi in 1921. The Edah HaCharedis, which was - and still is - strongly anti-Zionist, resisted these moves and opposed the new British-created Zionist Chief Rabbinate.

Rabbi Sonnenfeld was succeeded by Rabbi Yoseph Tzvi Dushinsky. He was succeeded by Rabbi Zelig Reuven Bengis, who was succeeded by the famous Satmar Rebbe, Grand Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum. Rabbi Teitelbaum lived in the United States, but was the chief rabbi of the Edah HaCharedis. Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum's nephew, the late Grand Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum of Satmar, was given the title of President, upon Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum's passing. Meanwhile, in 1945, Agudath Israel, formerly aligned with the Edah, broke away from it.

Crowd at a demonstration organized by the Edah HaChareidis. Jerusalem, 18 Oct. 2006.

The anti-Zionist stance of the Edah is determined by the book Vayoel Moshe, written by former Edah President and Chief Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, which is regarded as the standard using which all issues relating to the Zionist state are determined.

Despite the anti-Zionist stance of the Edah HaCharedis, a fragile cooperation is maintained with the state-run Chief Rabbinate (for example, for the purpose of registering marriages and divorces). On the other hand, converts to Judaism who convert through the Edah HaCharedis (like converts through all non-government organizations), are not recognized as Jews by the state for the purpose of obtaining Israeli citizenship via the Law of Return. [1]

The official position held by the Edah, established by its past President and Chief Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum in his book Vayoel Moshe, includes rules not to accept any money from the government, nor to accept Israeli citizenship through the Law of Return.

In 2002, the rabbinical leadership of the Edah wrote a praising introduction to the virulently anti-Zionist book Vayoel Moshe, written by former Chief Rabbi and President of the Edah, Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum of Satmar. The introduction mentioned: "and it is necessary to learn about this subject [of Zionism]... the holy book Vayoel Moshe will open [its readers] eyes to see [the reasons behind] all troubles and horrors of our time, and will prevent readers from being drawn after the Zionist heresy, may the Merciful One save us."^[1]

[edit] Kashrut supervision

The Edah HaCharedis is known for its high standards in rabbinical supervision of kosher food, and is considered to be one of the strictest hechsherim in Israel. It is often simply known as the hechsher of the "Badatz", which stands for Beis Din Tzedek or "Righteous Court of Law". Products which the Edah certified are marked with the well-known logo of the Edah, shown above.

[edit] Prominent members of the rabbinical court of the Edah HaCharedis

[edit] Chief Rabbis (גאב"ד) of the Edah HaCharedis

1919-1932: Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld (1849-1932)
Grand Rabbi Yoseph Tzvi Dushinsky (1865-1949)
Rabbi Zelig Reuven Bengis (1864-1953)
Grand Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum of Satmar (1887-1979)
1979-1989: Rabbi Yitzchok Yaakov Weiss (1901-1989; author of Minchas Yitzchak, formerly of Manchester, England)
1989-1996: Rabbi Moshe Aryeh Freund (1904-1996; author of Ateres Yehoshua (Chassidei Satmar)
1996-2002: Grand Rabbi Yisrael Moshe Dushinsky (1921-2003; son of Rabbi Yoseph Tzvi Dushinsky, listed above)
2002 to present: Rabbi Yitzchak Tuvia Weiss (formerly dayan of Antwerp, Belgium)

[edit] Presidents (נשיא) of the Edah HaCharedis

Grand Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum of Satmar (1887-1979)
Grand Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum of Satmar (1914-2006)
Rabbi Dovid Soloveitchik Rosh Yeshivah of Brisk, current President of the Edah Charedis