Shmuel Auerbach (Hebrew: שמואל אוירבך; September 21, 1931 – February 24, 2018)[1] was a Haredi rabbi in Jerusalem.[2] He was considered a leader in the non-Hasidic Haredi community in Israel. His followers formed a political organisation known as the Jerusalem Faction.[3] In 2013, as the Israeli government launched a campaign to draft Ultra Orthodox men into the IDF, the organisation adopted a controversial policy of demonstrations and incitement against the draft.[4][5]
Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach | |
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שמואל אוירבך | |
Personal | |
Born | |
Died | February 24, 2018 Jerusalem | (aged 86)
Religion | Judaism |
Nationality | Israeli |
Spouse | Rachel (deceased) |
Parent(s) | Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and Chaya Rivka Ruchamkin |
Denomination | Haredi |
Position | Rosh yeshiva |
Yeshiva | Yeshivas Ma'alos HaTorah |
Organisation | Jerusalem Faction |
Residence | Sha'arei Hesed, Jerusalem |
Auerbach was the eldest son of Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and his wife, Chaya Rivka Ruchamkin.[6] He was born in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Sha'arei Hesed—as was his father[6]—and resided there all his life. He married Rachel Paksher[7] (d. 11 January 1990).[8] They had no children. He named his musar sefer Ohel Rachel in her memory.
Auerbach was the rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Maalot HaTorah[6] and the Nasi (president) of Yeshivas Midrash Shmuel[9] and Yeshivas Toras Simcha,[10] both in Jerusalem. For a short time, he also served as one of the roshei yeshiva of Yeshivas Itri in Jerusalem.[11] He was the head of the Bnei Torah party (colloquially referred to as "Etz"), which he founded.