Prominent Accountant Rabbi Shlomo Alfa Dies at 95

Rabbi Shlomo Alfa, a respected accountant for numerous institutions, passed away Tuesday evening at the age of 95 at Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center in Bnei Brak, following resuscitation efforts. Born in 1931, Rabbi Alfa was the son of Rabbi Eliezer Alfa, the rabbi of the Keremya neighborhood in Haifa, and the grandson of Rabbi Meir Karelitz, a prominent figure in the Council of Torah Sages and a founder of the Independent Education network. His family home in Haifa was a gathering place for rabbinical scholars.

As a youth, Rabbi Alfa studied at the Tiferet Tzion yeshiva, where he became close to Rabbi Avraham Yeshayahu Karelitz, known as the Chazon Ish, and lived in his home. He married Sarah, and the Chazon Ish attended their wedding in Haifa.

Later, Rabbi Alfa settled in Bnei Brak, where he worked as an accountant for many institutions. He was also dedicated to Torah study and voluntarily handled the accounting for the Nachlat Moshe network of kollels, headed by his son-in-law, Rabbi Avraham Rubinstein, the former mayor of Bnei Brak and secretary of the Council of Torah Sages. Rabbi Alfa is survived by his children and grandchildren. His maternal grandfather, Rabbi Meir Karelitz, was the brother of Rabbi Chazon Ish.