Rabbi Kalman Meir Ber is the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel.
Born on 24 December 1957 in Tel Aviv to Emanuel Ber, grandson of the Rebbe of Przedbórz and a descendant of Rabbi Kalonimus Kalman Halevi Epstein, the 'Meor v'Shamesh' after whom Rabbi Ber is named. He is also a scion of Rabbi Akiva Eiger and the Izhbitzer-Radzin Rebbes on his mother's side, Miriam Ita.
He studied in Netanya under Rabbi Simcha HaCohen Kook. Later, he continued his studies at the Hesder Yeshiva Kerem b'Yavne. He served in the IDF as a soldier in the Nahal Brigade and then spent decades in the reserves. During his years at the yeshiva, he studied the writings of Rabbi Kook together with Rabbi Uzi Kalkheim. Later, he studied at the yeshiva's kollel and was ordained to the city rabbinate by the chief rabbis, Rabbi Avraham Shapira and Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu.
In 1986, he was appointed by Rabbi Chaim Yaakov Goldvicht as a maggid shiur in the yeshiva. In addition to his role in the yeshiva, he served as the head of the Midrasha in Kibbutz Chafetz Chaim and head of the Talpiot College of Education. He served on a rabbinical mission as the head of the Yavne Yeshiva in Antwerp and as the rabbi of the Mizrahi community "Rabbi Amiel." He presented a Torah class on Kol Chai radio and currently presents a weekly Torah class on the Kikar HaShabbat website.
In late 2014, Rabbi Ber was elected Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Netanya, receiving support from the Jewish Home Party, the Rebbe of Sanz, and Mayor Miriam Feierberg. As part of his role, he established the "Behidur Kashrut" system within the Netanya Rabbinate's kashrut framework.
He alternates with the Sephardi Chief Rabbi in serving as the president of the Chief Rabbinate Council and then Head of the Rabbinic Court.
Rabbi Ber began serving as Chief Rabbi of Israel on 4 November 2024.