A new department is being established by the Rabbinical Centre of Europe, with the purpose of setting up computerised databases for European Jewish communities, providing current updated information about communities and their leaders.


The initiative came following many requests from Jewish organisations all over the world, asking for details about various European communities, their Rabbis and community leaders.


The RCE already has a large database of information concerning Jewish communities in Europe, but now it was decided to connect the database to an advanced computerised network, which will give an immediate reply to any query. The Centre which is the reliable address for any query concerning European Jewry sees itself also as the correct address for providing information to any Jewish organisation that wants to be introduced to a Jewish community in Europe.


Last year a project was completed by the Marriage Dept. of the RCE, headed by Rabbi Yitzchok Berger, Head of Manchester Beis Din andthe European RabbinicalCommittee member. A computerised data bank was established to collect the personal status of members of European communities, thus enabling any communal Rabbi in Europe to clarify if an individual was married according to Halachah, or whether he is divorced, widowed or unmarried.


The planned data banks will give the RCE additional significance as an influential body among Jewish organisation in the Jewish world.


The person responsible for the Data Bank Dept. will be Reb Yossef Katri. He can be contacted by e-mail at iokatri@rce.eu.com or by fax +972.2.651.6585.