White Smoke in Jerusalem: It's Rabbis Lau and Yosef

In Jerusalem on Wednesday evening the vote on the next chief Ashkenazi and Sephardi rabbis has been concluded. Israel's new chief rabbis are, for the Sephardim Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, for the Ashkenazim Rabbi David Lau.

Three competed for Chief Sephardi Rabbi: Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, son of Shas spiritual leader Rav Ovadia Yosef; Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, son former chief rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, and Rabbi Tzion Boaron.

The three competing for Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi were: Rabbi David Stav, head of Tzohar; Rabbi David Lau, son of former chief rabbi, Rabbi Israel Lau; and Rabbi Yaakov Shapira.

147 out of 150 members of the election body voted.