Shmuel Auerbach

Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach
שמואל אוירבך
Auerbach in 2013
Personal life
Born	(1931-09-21)September 21, 1931 Jerusalem, Mandate Palestine
Died	February 24, 2018(2018-02-24) (aged 86) Jerusalem
Nationality	Israeli
Spouse	Rachel (deceased)
Parent(s)	Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and Chaya Rivka Ruchamkin
Religious life
Religion	Judaism
Denomination	Haredi

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]

Biography

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.

Rabbinic career

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 [he] party (colloquially referred to as "Etz"), which he founded.

References

1. "Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach dies at 86". 24 February 2018.
2. Nahshoni, Kobi (13 October 2010). "Top rabbis: IDF conversions endorse gentiles as Jews". Ynetnews. Retrieved 4 January 2011..
3. "Rav Shmuel Auerbach – beyond the headlines". The Jerusalem Post | Jpost.com.
4. "Radical Haredi leader Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach dies suddenly". The Jerusalem Post | Jpost.com.
5. "Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, the leader of radical Jerusalem ultra-Orthodox sect, dies at 86". Haaretz.
6. Sofer, D. "Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt"l". Yated Ne'eman (United States). Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
7. Ginzburg, Eliezer ben Efrayim Mordekhai; Weinberger, Yosef; Scherman, Nosson (2007). Mishlei. Mesorah Publications, Ltd. p. 667. ISBN 978-1-4226-0590-5.
8. Geller, Shalom Yosef; Rubin, Yitzchak Mordechai (2003). Orchos Shabbat – Part One (in Hebrew). Machon Hadarat Yerushalayim. Dedication page.
9. "Who's Who in Midrash Shmuel". Aliyos Shmuel. Archived from the original on 23 January 2010. Retrieved 4 January 2010.
10. "Yeshivas Toras Simcha" (PDF). torassimcha.org. December 2009. Retrieved 4 January 2010.
11. Greenwald, Avi (11 August 2009). "Baruch Dayan Emes: Rosh Yeshivas Itri ztz'l". Tog News. Archived from the original on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2011.

External links

• Photo of Shmuel Auerbach with his parents and siblings, circa 1936
• Photos of Rabbi Auerbach with Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliashiv on Sukkot 2010
• Video: Rav Shmuel Auerbach Lighting Menorah (2009)