Hacham David Yosef דוד יוסף | |
|---|---|
 HaGaon HaRishon LeZion, Hacham David Yosef, Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel | |
| Title | Rishon LeZion Chief Rabbi of Israel |
| Personal life | |
| Born | (1957-08-10)August 10, 1957 (age 67) |
| Nationality |  Israel |
| Spouse | Sofia Yosef |
| Parents |
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| Alma mater | Hebron Yeshiva (Knesset Yisrael),Ponevezh Yeshiva |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Denomination | Sephardic Orthodox |
| Jewish leader | |
| Predecessor | Yitzchak Yosef |
| Position | SephardiChief Rabbi of Israel (2024 – present) |
| Organisation | Chief Rabbinate of Israel |
| Main work | The "Halacha Berura" and others |
| Other | Chief Rabbi ofHar Nof, RoshKollel of Yechaveh Da'at |
Hacham David Yosef (Hebrew:דוד יוסף; born August 10, 1957) is theSephardiChief Rabbi of Israel andRishon LeZion. He has authored dozens of books inJewish Law mainly based on the rulings of his father, HachamOvadia Yosef. His most notable work is a set of books named Halacha Berura, which is an encyclopedia like commentary on the Shulchan Aruch, with letters of approbation from his father and RabbiYosef Shalom Elyashiv.
On September 29, 2024, Yosef was elected to serve a ten year term as the SephardicChief Rabbi of Israel, TheRishon LeZion.[1][2] Both his older brotherYitzchak Yosef and his fatherOvadia Yosef previously served in the office. Yosef was formally inaugurated in a crowning ceremony on December 11, 2024 in Jerusalem, where he officially donned the traditional garments of the Sephardic Chief Rabbi.[3][4] Yosef honored the legacy of his father by wearing his fathers vestments during the ceremony.[5] Yosef's personal vestments will resemble the design of his father's.[6] Yosef currently serves as the president of the Chief Rabbinate Council, and will rotate with hisAshkenazi counter part, to later serve as Head of the Rabbinic Court.[7]
He previously served as the chief rabbi of theHar Nof neighborhood inJerusalem,[9] the head of the Yechaveh Da'atKollel, and a member of theMoetzet Chachmei HaTorah of theShas party.[10][11]
He is regarded as one of the most influential Sephardic Rabbis in the world due to having scores of students serving as Rabbinic figures across the globe. He is fluent in multiple languages, including English, and often travels the world delivering Shiurim.[12]
Yosef is also a lecturer at Chazaq, a New York City-based outreach organization with a special emphasis on outreach for Jewish public school students. He is a frequent guest by the Syrian American community in Brooklyn and the Sephardic community in France, Argentina and Mexico.
David Yosef was born and raised inJerusalem. He is the ninth child of the former Israeli Chief Rabbi andShas spiritual leaderOvadia Yosef,[13] and is paternally ofIraqi Jewish descent. Yosef studied at the Or Israel Yeshiva in his youth, a year at thePonevezh Yeshiva and then at theHebron Yeshiva (Knesset of Israel) in Jerusalem. During his studies at the Hebron Yeshiva he metAryeh Deri and the two became friends for many years.
Yosef is married to Sofia, daughter of Yosef Suissa, and sister of former MKEli Suissa. They have nine children. Yosef lives in theHar Nof neighborhood of Jerusalem.
In October 2020, Yosef was forced to resign as a state-paid rabbi due to violating regulations for public servants, which prohibit public servants from expressing political opinions in public, and also prohibit offensive or discriminatory speech against groups. Violations include speaking negatively about theReform movement and theWomen of the Wall prayer rights organization including statements such as: “One must stand up in every place and talk about the lie of the Reform movement which has distorted authentic Judaism”. He has spoken disparagingly about the Women of the Wall, saying: “these idiots put on tefillin,” that their activity was “promiscuous, coarse, vulgar, immodest and shameless,” and that “they have no connection to authentic Judaism.”[14][15]
| Jewish titles | ||
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| Preceded by | Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel 2024–Present | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
