July 18, 2012

The International Rabbinic Fellowship together with the house of Israel mourns the passing of Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, the leading Lithuanaian Haredi halakhic decisor, at the age of 102 in Jerusalem.

Rabbi Elyashiv, a relative by marriage of the late, sainted, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, served for many decades as a dayan (rabbinical judge) in the Chief Rabbinate court system in Israel before retiring in the early 1970's. He then went on to devote himself to a life dedicated exclusively to Torah study and rendering halakhic decisions. In the last decade of his life he also became increasingly involved in serving as the guide of organized Lithuanian Hareidi Jewry on political, social and halakhic issues of the day. 

May his entire family be comforted amongst the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.