Rabbanit Dada Dabbah, Mother of Prominent Rabbis, Passes Away at 84

Rabbanit Dada Dabbah, mother of the distinguished Dabbah rabbinical family and notably the eldest son, Rabbi Yaish Dabbah, a leading halachic authority in Beit Shemesh, passed away at the age of 84. Her funeral took place on Sunday morning, departing from the Sephardic funeral home to the Western Cemetery section on Har HaMenuchot in Jerusalem, attended by hundreds including rabbis and Torah scholars.

Born on Lag BaOmer 1942 in the Moroccan town of Aka, known for its Kabbalists, she was the daughter of Rabbi Avraham Asraf and Esther, a midwife and descendant of Rabbi Yaish Bouganim, a revered rabbi in Morocco. At 14, she married Rabbi Eliyahu Dabbah and gave birth to her first son, Rabbi Yaish, at 16. The family immigrated to Israel in 1963, settling in Yeruham, where despite the secular environment, they maintained a home centered on Torah and holiness.

Rabbanit Dabbah was known for her modesty, dedication to Torah values, and support of her sons’ religious studies, sending them to prestigious yeshivas in Israel and France. Her son Rabbi Yaish praised her steadfastness and purity despite early immigration. She was also noted for her generosity, purchasing tefillin for nearly 100 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Widowed in 2002, she later lived near her sons in Beersheba.

She passed away on the night of Shabbat Parashat Balak, July 9, 2024. Her family includes many Torah scholars and community leaders, such as Rabbi Mordechai Asraf of Paris and other sons active in teaching Torah. The family is sitting shiva at her daughter’s home in Netivot, with visitation hours and prayers scheduled.

Rabbanit Dabbah leaves behind a legacy of faith, scholarship, and a large family devoted to Torah life. Her soul was described as pure and joyful until the end, fulfilling the Talmudic sign of a good death.