Shlomo Amar

Shlomo Amar
Name	Shlomo Amar
Honorific prefix	Rabbi
Birth date	1948
Birth place	Marrakesh
Nationality	Israel
Denomination	Orthodox Judaism
Title	Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel (2003–2013)

Shlomo Amar is an Israeli Sephardi rabbi and halakhic authority who served as the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel from 2003 to 2013 and as Chief Rabbi of Beersheba earlier. He is known for influential rulings on Jewish law, involvement in conversion policy, and leadership within Sephardi and Mizrahi communities. His tenure intersected with political figures, religious institutions, and international Jewish organizations.

Early life and education

Born in Marrakesh, Amar emigrated to Israel where he pursued yeshiva studies under prominent Sephardi rabbis associated with institutions such as Porat Yosef Yeshiva, Yeshivat Hakotel, and local Beersheba kollels. He apprenticed with rabbis linked to the Shas movement and studied texts from medieval authorities like Maimonides, Joseph Caro, and Ramban while also engaging with responsa literature by Ovadia Yosef, Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel, and Yitzhak Nissim. His education blended traditional Sephardi learning centers, including ties to communities connected with Agudat Yisrael and rabbinic courts modeled after precedents in Jerusalem and Safed.

Rabbinic career and leadership

Amar served as Chief Rabbi of Beersheba before being elected Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel in a contested vote in which political parties and rabbinical councils such as the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and municipal synagogues played roles. During his tenure he interacted with leaders like Ariel Sharon, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ehud Olmert, and officials from ministries including the Ministry of Religious Services and the Knesset. Amar chaired rabbinical courts (batei din) and worked with institutions such as Yad L'Rabbanut and organizations connected to World Sephardi Federation and International Rabbinical Assembly networks.

Religious rulings and halachic positions

Amar issued rulings on marriage (get), conversion (giyur), kashrut certification, and public religious practice, citing sources from Shulchan Aruch, Mishneh Torah, and responsa by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and Rabbi Yosef Karo. He adjudicated cases involving diaspora communities including rabbis from New York City, Paris, Buenos Aires, and Moscow, and engaged with halakhic authorities like Yitzhak Yosef, Ephraim Mirvis, Chaim Kanievsky, and clergy within the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. His positions influenced institutions such as rabbinical courts in Jerusalem and conversion panels in Holon, affecting relations with major Jewish denominations represented by leaders from Orthodox Union, Agudath Israel, and the Rabbinical Council of America.

Controversies and public criticism

Amar's tenure generated debate involving Israeli politicians, rabbis, and civil society groups including criticism from figures in Meretz, Labor, and Yesh Atid who challenged aspects of rabbinic authority and policy. High-profile disputes involved rulings on gay rights with activists from Tel Aviv protests, conflicts with municipal leaders in Beersheba and Haifa, and clashes with rabbis from Ashkenazi leadership such as Yona Metzger. Internationally, controversies touched communities in France, Argentina, and the United States, involving organizations like B'nai B'rith and World Jewish Congress.

Views on conversion and Jewish identity

Amar advocated stringent standards for conversion and emphasized halakhic criteria rooted in precedents by Maimonides and Joseph Caro, impacting conversion courts in Israel and the diaspora. His rulings intersected with policies of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, debates in the Knesset over recognition of conversions, and responses from diasporic leaders including rabbis in London, Brooklyn, and Melbourne. He engaged with organizations focused on Jewish continuity such as Aish HaTorah, NCSY, and Hashgacha networks while facing criticism from pluralist movements like Reform Judaism, Conservative Judaism, and advocacy groups including J Street.

International activities and relations with other Jewish communities

Amar traveled to communities across Europe, North America, and Latin America to consult on halakhic questions, meet with communal leaders in Paris, New York City, Buenos Aires, Moscow, and Toronto, and participate in conferences alongside figures from World Zionist Organization, Jewish Agency for Israel, and the Conference of European Rabbis. He fostered ties with Sephardi institutions in Morocco, Iraq, Yemen, and Ethiopia and coordinated responses to issues involving Jewish refugees from Arab lands and heritage preservation with museums and NGOs including the Ben-Zvi Institute and Jewish National Fund affiliates.

Personal life and legacy

Amar's family background ties to Moroccan Jewish communities and he maintained relationships with leading Sephardi families, rabbinic dynasties, and community activists. His legacy includes published responsa, influence on the structure of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, and long-term effects on conversion policy, kashrut supervision, and Sephardi religious leadership. His role is studied alongside contemporaries like Ovadia Yosef, Yitzhak Yosef, Yona Metzger, and political-religious figures such as Shimon Peres and David Ben-Gurion in analyses by academic centers including Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Bar-Ilan University, and think tanks focused on Israeli religion-state relations. Category:Chief Rabbis of Israel