Tel Aviv is set to choose a new city rabbi on Sunday, after nine years without one. The race is shaping up as a clash between an ultra-Orthodox candidate backed by the Sephardic Haredi Shas party, and a contender supported by non-Haredi parties and civic groups, according to Hebrew media reports. And Shas is said to have the upper hand thanks to a reported political deal with Mayor Ron Huldai, who is a member of the 64-person committee that will choose the rabbi. Municipal rabbis must be men ordained by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, and be strictly Orthodox. They are meant to serve as the chief religious authority for their city’s Jewish residents, signing off on documents such as marriage licenses and kosher certificates for local restaurants. They also act as the city’s spiritual leader, attend events, meet the public, and are featured in the media.…