Rosh Beth Din succession plan in place

SIMON APFEL

A training and recruitment programme has resulted in the appointments of Rabbi David Baddiel, Rabbi Yoel Smith and Rabbi Shlomo Glicksberg, who have joined the established dayanim – Rabbi Moshe Kurtstag, Rabbi Baruch Rapoport and Rabbi Zadok Suchard.

Rabbi Kurtstag will remain as the rosh Beth Din. Having relocated to Israel, he will be in daily contact with the dayanim in Johannesburg and commute regularly to South Africa, while leading and guiding the succession process. 

“The transition is being conducted in a very gradual way to ensure maximum stability and maximum positive continuity,” explains Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein.

Rabbi Kurtstag’s eventual successor will be jointly appointed by the Beth Din, the UOS Executive Council and the Office of the Chief Rabbi. According to Rabbi Goldstein, rosh Beth Din will be chosen on the basis of possessing a high level of expertise in Torah and general leadership ability, and will also need to be someone with deep compassion and integrity.

“We now have a team of six outstanding dayanim, who will all be working together as the torch is passed from one generation to the next. We have full confidence that with Hashem’s blessings the Beth Din will continue to be a bastion of unity, and deliver the highest halachic standards and dedicated service to the South African Jewish community.”