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David Lau

Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie dressed in drag, as his alter-ego, the Rebbetzin Hadassah Gross, as seen in 'Sabbath Queen,' a film by Sandi DuBowski. (Courtesy)
February 8, 2025, 2:46 am
From radical drag queen to rabbi, film depicts journey of a Jewish law breaker
‘Sabbath Queen’ follows gay scion of rabbinic dynasty Amichai Lau-Lavie for two decades as he challenges traditional Judaism’s norms and becomes a respected communal leader
By Renee Ghert-Zand
Israel's Ashkenazi former chief rabbi David Lau, right, and Israel's Sephardi former chief rabbi Yitzhak Yosef attend an event at a ceremony in Jerusalem, June 30, 2023. (The Chief Rabbinate of Israel)
July 5, 2024, 9:17 pm
A fight over women’s representation leaves Israel’s Jews without chief rabbis
The Justice Ministry’s demand that the rabbinate consider women for a position traditionally reserved for rabbis is key to the delay in succession for the first time in over a century
By Canaan Lidor
Israel's Ashkenazi former chief rabbi David Lau, right, and Israel's Sephardi former chief rabbi Yitzhak Yosef attend an event at a ceremony in Jerusalem, June 30, 2023. (The Chief Rabbinate of Israel)
July 5, 2024, 4:34 am
Israel’s chief rabbis leave their posts with no successors lined up to replace them
Interim rabbis to fulfill duties after Religious Affairs Ministry fails to set date for elections to replace outgoing rabbis, Ashkenazi David Lau and Sephardi Yitzhak Yosef
By Ben Sales
Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau speaks during a rally calling for the release of Israelis held kidnapped by Hamas terrorists in Gaza at 'Hostages Square' in Tel Aviv, April 18, 2024. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
May 26, 2024, 11:47 pm
Citing nepotism concerns, High Court of Justice halts rabbinical courts appointments
Petition filed by attorney notes that Chief Rabbi David Lau is a member of the committee considering the promotion of two of his relatives
By Canaan Lidor
Jews pray for the army's success in the war against Hamas and the return of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on January 10, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
January 11, 2024, 4:52 pm
‘Impoverished, broken and in pain’: Thousands at Western Wall mass prayer for hostages
With 100 days of captivity fast approaching for abductees, crowds seek their salvation through God
By Canaan Lidor
Israeli security seen next to burnt cars at the entrance to the Gaza border community of Kibbutz Be'eri, October 9, 2023. (Yossi Zamir/Flash90)
October 10, 2023, 3:06 pm
Orthodox group holds virtual prayer, with chair’s son missing near Gaza
Doron Perez, the head of Zionist Orthodox organization World Mizrachi, has one son missing, while another was shot in the leg during battle
By Ron Kampeas
Jewish worshippers pray at the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City, during the Birkat HaKohanim priestly blessing at the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, October 2, 2023. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
October 2, 2023, 8:16 pm
Worshipers hail ‘remedial’ priestly prayer in Jerusalem after Tel Aviv confrontation
Many at the vast event at the Western Wall describe it as a corrective experience
By Canaan Lidor
Israeli Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau, third from bottom right, meets with Jeffrey Schwartz, third from left, at the Jeffrey D. Schwartz Jewish Community Center in Taipei, in February 2023. (Courtesy of the Jeffrey D. Schwartz and Na Tang Jewish Taiwan Cultural Association)
March 2, 2023, 8:50 am
Israeli chief rabbi visits Taiwan in milestone for country’s Jewish community
David Lau participates in ceremony dedicating cultural center, attends regional summit of rabbis, meets with Taiwanese officials; says impressed by locals’ dedication to tradition
By Jordyn Haime
Israeli rescue personnel rescue a 9-year-old boy from under rubble in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, late February 10, 2023. (Israel Defense Forces)
February 11, 2023, 12:42 am
IDF rescuers in Turkey pull 9-year-old boy from rubble, 120 hours after quake
Survivor’s sister and father were rescued by Israelis earlier in the week; chief rabbi says Israel’s search crews should work through Shabbat to save lives
By Emanuel Fabian
Screen capture from video of light fittings in Israel that were shaken by a major earthquake in Turkey and Syria, February 6, 2023. (Twitter. Used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
February 6, 2023, 10:06 pm
Witnesses recount how quakes rattled Israel, sent hundreds fleeing buildings
Health Ministry warns residents in Beit She’an area to boil water as temblors disturbed groundwater; Turkish rabbi reports two Jews missing near border with Syria
By ToI Staff
An encased thin-cut, cultivated steak made by Israeli food tech startup Aleph Farms seen at the company's office in Rehovot, November 2021. (Times of Israel staff)
January 19, 2023, 4:13 pm
Kosher cheeseburgers? Chief rabbi rules some cultured meat may not be ‘fleishig’
Rabbi David Lau says beef cultivated from stem cells could be considered ‘pareve’ if it’s marketed as a meat alternative, but not if it claims to be the real deal
By Judah Ari Gross
Deputy Minister Avi Maoz, right, meets with Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau, center-left, in the latter's office in Jerusalem on January 11, 2023. (Avi Maoz's Office)
January 12, 2023, 5:32 am
Maoz looks to involve Rabbinate in determining Jewishness of would-be immigrants
As head of Nativ, which checks citizenship eligibility in FSU, far-right lawmaker seems to be trying to make process harder so as to keep out those who are not halachically Jewish
By Judah Ari Gross
Former and current students attend the funeral of Rabbi Chaim Druckman in Merkaz Shapira in central Israel on December 26, 2022. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
December 26, 2022, 1:29 pm
‘One of the great rabbis of Israel’: Religious Zionist Rabbi Chaim Druckman mourned
Thousands of people brave rainy weather to attend funeral of influential spiritual leader of the national religious community, who died Sunday at 90
By Judah Ari Gross
Rabbi Chaim Druckman during a press conference in Jerusalem on March 22, 2022. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)
December 26, 2022, 10:13 am
Roads closed in south ahead of Druckman funeral; hundreds of police deployed
Spiritual leader of political religious Zionism to be eulogized by Netanyahu, Herzog, Smotrich, chief rabbi and leading religious figures
By ToI Staff
Head of the Likud party Benjamin Netanyahu visits at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, the night before the Israeli general elections, October 31, 2022. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
November 27, 2022, 2:23 pm
Daily Briefing Nov. 27: Changes to Law of Return & a missed moment for Diaspora Jews
Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian with updates on Jerusalem bombings and violence in Hebron; Diaspora and religion reporter Judah Ari Gross on Minister Nachman Shai’s regrets
By ToI Staff
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