A political and social movement in Israel, Shas grew from a local party participating in Jerusalem municipal elections in 1983 to a national party running candidates for the Knesset in 1984. Its emergence and success were made possible by the neglect of the Sephardi/Mizraḥi ultra-Orthodox (Heb. ḥaredi) community by the primary ultra-Orthodox party, Agudat Yisrael.

The supreme authority of Shas is vested in its religious leadership. At first this was provided by a rabbinical coun…