Europe Prior to
World War II, only one such body existed, the
World Agudath Israel. The Council of Torah Sages was established following the establishment of
Agudath Israel in
Katowice in 1912. It was decided at the time that two councils would be set up for the movement: a council of homeowners, and a council of rabbis, composed of leading rabbis from around the world.
United States The Moetzes of
Agudath Israel of America serve as religious decisors, leadership, and political and policy liaisons with state and federal government agencies on behalf of many American Haredi Jews. The council, consisting primarily of
rosh yeshivas and Hasidic rebbes, directs Agudath's policies and leadership. Formerly known as the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah, the body was founded in 1948. It sets all major policies, and guides the organization according to its precepts of
Da'as Torah.
Israel The Moetzes of
Agudat Yisrael likewise constituted the
Israeli
Ashkenazic Haredi community's religious policy leadership, and exercises strong control over political matters for strongly observant
Israelis, such as joining government coalitions. Prior to
Degel HaTorah's late 1980s break from
Agudat Israel (because of the dominance of the
Polish Hasidic groups), there was only one Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah in Israel. With the breakaway of the Lithuanian/"yeshivish" faction (led by Rabbi
Rabbi Elazar Shach), two separate, at times complementary, councils were created. The Haredi
Sephardi Jews of Israel had also at one time followed the leadership of the Moetzet of Agudat Yisrael when it was still a body that generally spoke for most of Israel's Haredim. Eventually, however, the Haredi Sephardim broke with their Ashkenazi counterparts (again because of the dominance of the Polish Hasidic groups), and established the
Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah ("Council of [wise] Torah Sages"), which in turn became the source for the formulation and expression of the policies and agenda of the
Shas political party in the Israeli
Knesset. Rabbi
Ovadiah Yosef became the main leadership figure of this council. == Members – Europe ==