Chief Rabbi David Baruh Lau
Did you know that Israel has a National Chief Rabbi, both for the Ashkenazi Jews and for the Sephardi Jews?
Our current (2021) Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi is none other than Rabbi David Lau, son of former Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau who is known for his inspiring story as a survivor of the Holocaust.
Rabbi David Lau was born in Tel Aviv and spent his early years studying in several yeshivot before drafting into the IDF Intelligence Corps’s Rabbanut, where he served as an officer. After his service, Rabbi Lau served as the first Chief Rabbi of Shoham, a small yishuv that was established in 1993.
He is the first Rabbi in Israel to engage with citizens and answer halahic (Jewish Law) questions live via the internet - a true pioneer of our time! Between the years 2006-2013, he hosted a famous tv show called “Ask the Rabbi”, which aired every Friday afternoon. Here, he would discuss halahic topics, all things related to the commandments, making Torah accessible and engaging for interested Jews.
On July 24, 2013, at the young age of 47, Rabbi David Lau became the youngest Chief Rabbi in Israeli history, a role which he will fill until the year 2023. Rabbi Lau is known for his ability to evolve with the times. Not only is he media savvy, but he also has made many important halachic decisions during the times of Corona, exempting religious Jews from kissing the mezuzah and those at risk from fasting on Tisha B’Av.
