Rabbi Yosef Abu, UTJ representative in Beit Shean, has
recently been appointed deputy mayor of the city. The
appointment had been delayed for a long time and was finally
approved only last two weeks ago, after the city's mayor,
Pinny Kabalo and the representatives of UTJ completed their
coalition agreement. According to the agreement between UTJ
and Kabalo, a committee for the selection of an electoral
body to elect a chief rabbi for Beit Shean was appointed.
Before the elections, Pinny Kabalo met with Rabbi Moshe
Gafni, and as a result, UTJ supported his election. Kabalo
received only 24 votes more than his opponent, and in that
manner triumphed over Jackie Levi, son of Foreign Minister
David Levi. However, after the elections, Kabalo did not
reach an understanding with UTJ's two representatives in the
council who, as a result, remained in the opposition. Kabalo
found it difficult to function while having to face the
opposition. At his request, he met with Rabbi Gafni two weeks
ago. Kabalo promised to comply with the request of the UTJ
representatives, and asked Rabbi Gafni to guarantee that they
join the coalition.
Last week, a coalition agreement was signed, insuring the
election of a chief rabbi for Beit Shean, an issue which
until then had stalled the singing of the agreement. Rabbi
Yosef Abu, chairman of Degel HaTorah in the city, is also a
member of the electoral body.
The agreement also promises to establish a Torah Culture
Department, headed by Rabbi Abu, and to include Degel
HaTorah's representative, Rabbi Chaviv Gil as the deputy
chairman of the scholarships committee. UTJ representatives
in Beit Shean intend to make efforts to equate the status of
bnei yeshiva to that of secular students as far as the
receipt of scholarships is concerned.
After all of the religious issues were covered in the
coalition agreement, Rabbi Abu was appointed deputy mayor.
UTJ's supporters in Beit Shean were very pleased by this
appointment, as was the general community which regards him
as their personal representative in the city council.
Rabbi Abu is the chairman of the local branch of Degel
HaTorah and heads the Ahavas Torah institutions in the city.
He conducts his campaigns on behalf of Torah Jewry in a
genial manner, and his close acquaintances say that this is
the secret of his success.
Rabbi Abu thanked all those who had come to congratulate him,
and said that his new position obligates him to persist in
his efforts to preserve the mesorati identity of his
city and to elect a chief rabbi for Beit Shean which has been
without one for so long.
