Israeli Charedi leader Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky dies aged 94
Kanievsky became one of the widely accepted leaders of the Charedi community after the death of Rabbi Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman in 2017.
One of Israel’s most prominent ultra-Orthodox leaders died on Friday afternoon, aged 94.
Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, the author of Derech Emunoh and Derech Chochmoh, collapsed at his home in Bnei Brak after falling ill this week.
Despite their efforts, a local medical team was unable to resuscitate him and he died a few hours later.
A group of his followers had gathered outside the house, waiting for news. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennet had tweeted, saying he is praying for Kanivesky’s health.
Born in 1928 in Pinsk, a city now located in Belarus, Kanievsky, became one of the widely accepted leaders of the Charedi community after the death of Rabbi Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman in 2017.
For many years thousands of people would visit Kanivesky at his home to ask for advice and blessings.
He attracted controversy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the early stages of the crisis he reportedly told followers that one of the best ways to defeat the virus was to avoid lashon hara (gossip).
After residents of Bnei Brak became disproportionately ill with COVID he announced that all his followers should follow the Israeli Health Ministry’s guidelines on COVID-19.
However when most schools closed in October 2020 he advocated for his community’s educational institutions to stay open.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
