"A Rabbi who does not reside in the place of his tenure – is a scoundrel"

According to the practice in the past few weeks in the Knesset, in which each minister summarizes the activities of his office, tonight (Tuesday) Religious Services Minister Yaakov Margi, went up on the plenary podium to conduct the summary of his office.

He noted that upon entry of the role he found a Ministry mainly responsible for the religious councils, and these, as well as other religious services were sub - budgeting.

Upon assuming office, the minister said that his goal to mainly serve the "national-religious views." As a result he began a process of re - organization and branding, including the signing of Service Agreement between the Ministry and the religious councils and religious councils citizens, writing a training program for managing religious councils performed, setting up a call center 24 hours a day for accessibility of information to the public, enabling enterprise of "secret customer" departments marriage religious councils, producing an information booklet aimed at providing access to the deceased families important information at critical moments and division offices of Kadisha companies and hospitals, and more.

The minister also described the renovation of 200 ritual baths around the country to the center in order to sweeten the experience of immersion.

During his briefing the minister described the huge burial project Revaya, currently being conducted at the Yarkon Cemetery, designed to save precious open spaces in the center of the country. The minister described his office conducted an extensive campaign to implement awareness of the importance of burial saturation.

In conclusion the Minister said that at present there is no one religious council withholding the salaries employees or have payments to suppliers. The minister also said that he "left his successors a professional office with a dynamic young and strong management path, from the CEO through VPs professional dedicated to the last of the workers."

After summarizing activities of his office, the minister answered MK's questions.

Asked by MK Aliza Lavie (Yesh Atid) on the exclusion of women during funerals and preventing obituary by women on loved ones, the minister said that he is against the exclusion of women and left in his circular a clear point to allow immediate families to decide on the order of the funeral and the identity of who eulogizes.

Asked by MK Dov Lipman (Yesh Atid) the rabbis require an additional fee when carrying out chuppas, the minister said that it is strictly forbidden for serving rabbis who receive salaries from the Ministry of Religious Services, to charge extra for carrying out chuppas.

MK Amram Mitzna (Hatnua) accused that the treatment of mikvehs is tainted by corruption. Minister Margi said that the developing of performance budgets for ritual baths was transferred to local authorities.

The Minister replied to the question of MK Eli Ben Dahan concerning rabbis of cities that do not live at their place of tenure, that his remark is derived from the worldview of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef that every city or community Rabbi who does not live where his tenure is, robs the public. Response to a comment by MK Michaeli for rates of burial, the Minister emphasized that each person has full cover expenses for burial and the burial day.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!