Yaacov Roja | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1944-02-24)February 24, 1944 (age 81) |
| Education | Hebron Yeshiva |
| Employer | ZAKA |
| Known for | Identifying remains of fallen soldiers |
Yaakov Roja (born February 24, 1944) is a Lithuanian–Israeli Haredi Rabbi,[1] and member of the Chief Rabbinate council. On June 30, 2024, he became interim president of the Council of the Chief Rabbinate, alongside RabbiEliezer Igra who serves as interim president of the rabbinical court, after chief rabbisDavid Lau andYitzhak Yosef ended their terms with no successor named.[2] He also serves as the city rabbi ofBat Yam and is an expert on identifying battlefield remains.[citation needed]
Roja was born inTel Aviv and grew up inBnei Brak. He studied in the Yishuv andHebron Yeshiva.[3]
He served in the engineering corps of theIsrael Defense Forces. Soon after he completed his service, theYom Kippur War broke out and he began the task of identifying bodies of those who fell in battle.[citation needed]
During the2014 Gaza War, it was Roja who made the finalhalakhic decision that identified that soldiersOron Shaul and Hadar Goldin were dead.[4] He also identified the remains ofNaftali Frankel, Eyal Yafarah and Gil-Ad Shaar.[5][2]
He serves as the chairman of the Rabbinical Council ofZAKA and as the chief rabbinate's representative at the National Center of Forensic Medicine. He has the rank of lieutenant colonel in the army and serves as an advisor of the IDF to identify the remains of victims of war.[6]
When theIsrael–Hamas war began with the October 7, 2023, massacre, Roja was responsible for identifying all the civilian victims.[6]
Roja was principal of Segulah School inBnei Brak, but moved to Bat Yam to become head of the Aderet Yeshiva.[7] In 2019, Roja was appointed Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Bat Yam.[8]
On June 30, 2024, he became interim president of the Council of the Chief Rabbinate, temporarily replacing RabbiYitzhak Yosef until a new Rishon LeZion (Sefardi Chief Rabbi, who normally holds that role) is elected.[citation needed]
He is the author ofChesed Ve'Emet Nifgashu, a collection of responsa on the laws of mourning.[9]