Question
Hi i heard that Minhag ha makom in Eretz yisrael is Sephardi. I also heard that rav Ovadia Yosef said one could take on the sephardi minhagim upon making aliyah. Is that something i could do now? example kitniyot, saying slichot during elul etc
Answer
ב"ה
Shalom
Indeed that was the unique teaching of Rav Ovadia zt"l to adhere fervently to the rulings of the Shulchan for Sefardim and also for Ashkenazim upon comong to Eretz Yisrael, whether lenient or stringent. However, not all Rabbis agreed with this.
What I have learned from my Rabbis is that one follows the customs of his forefathers and it is accepted as an undertaking for generations as stipulated in the Gemara Pesachim 50b that one should not abandon the teachings of his father and not to abandon the Torah of his mother. If you wish to pursue doing otherwise, I advise you to consult a Rabbi who knows you personally.
All the best
