Death of influential rabbi marks turning point for Israeli ultra-Orthodox
Both ultra-Orthodox and secular Israelis were drawn to Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, whose Torah scholarship brought him influence he never sought.
The death of Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky on March 18 marked a turning point in Israel’s religious life. The rabbi held sway over all sectors of religious society in Israel and his death has serious implications for ultra-Orthodox politics and beyond.
His funeral was unlike any other in Israeli history. The crowds that saw Kanievsky laid to rest March 20 were not just mourning the loss of a brilliant rabbinic mind, but also the end of an era.
