Long-Serving Eilat Chief Rabbi Moshe Mordechai HaDayan Dies at 91

Rabbi Moshe Mordechai HaDayan, who served as the Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Eilat for approximately 70 years, passed away on Saturday at the age of 91. HaDayan arrived in the southern city in 1956 and dedicated his life to rabbinical and public service, establishing religious institutions and strengthening Torah and Jewish life in Eilat and its surroundings. In the past month, his son, Rabbi Yair HaDayan, was appointed to succeed him in the role. Rabbi HaDayan was the grandson of the kabbalist Rabbi Shalom HaDayan, a leader of the Beit El Kabbalistic Yeshiva in Jerusalem, and belonged to a long-standing rabbinical dynasty. Throughout his decades of service, he worked to establish Torah institutions, synagogues, and ritual baths, alongside developing the city's kashrut supervision system, serving its residents and the many visitors. Chief Rabbi of Israel and President of the Chief, Rabbi Kalman Meir Bar, expressed deep sorrow over his passing, highlighting Rabbi HaDayan's extensive Torah knowledge combined with his personal approach to everyone. He stated that Rabbi HaDayan worked with devotion to establish religious and Torah institutions and a meticulous kashrut system in the city. Rabbi Bar offered condolences to the family, especially his son Rabbi Yair HaDayan, who followed in his path as Eilat's rabbi. He expressed hope that the late rabbi's work would continue to develop after his death and prayed for the family's comfort. The First to Zion and Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi David Yosef, also eulogized Rabbi HaDayan, describing him as a great scholar who established Torah institutions, synagogues, and ritual baths, and worked to maintain a high standard of kashrut in the city, all done with humility and love for people. Rabbi Yosef also noted that Rabbi HaDayan lived to see his son, Rabbi Yair, continue his path as the city's rabbi. He offered condolences to the family and wished them comfort. The Shas movement also expressed sorrow over the rabbi's passing, emphasizing his contribution to religious life in Eilat. The movement stated that Rabbi HaDayan combined adherence to Halakha with love for the Jewish people, and through his wisdom, humility, and pleasant demeanor, he drew people closer to Torah. Shas also noted that the rabbi left behind a continuing legacy, and his son's appointment as Eilat's Chief Sephardic Rabbi during his lifetime allowed him to witness this continuation. The movement offered condolences to the family, his students, and the city's residents, who lost their rabbi of many decades.