Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu’s Grandson: “We Never Exploited His Name”
Rabbi Ariel Eliyahu, chairman of the Communities Rabbis Association, spoke at his grandfather’s memorial event about the education he received in the home of Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, of blessed memory, about the Communities Rabbis Association established in line with his vision, and about the lessons he left for future generations. Rabbi Ariel Eliyahu, grandson of the former Sephardic Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, of blessed memory, and chairman of the Communities Rabbis Association, appeared in the Channel 7 studio as part of the memorial events and spoke about his grandfather’s continuing public and Torah legacy. In his remarks, he described how the vision the rabbi cultivated over the years continues to be realized through hundreds of community rabbis working in Israel and abroad.
He said that from childhood he had been exposed to his grandfather’s extensive activity, as he often took part in gatherings of city rabbis, community rabbis, and yeshiva heads. Over the years, he understood that behind those meetings stood a clear idea of building a broad spiritual leadership. “The mission was to raise officers of thousands, officers of hundreds, officers of fifties and officers of tens,” he said, explaining that the Communities Rabbis Association was established from that outlook and now includes more than 600 rabbis who receive a professional framework, training, and ongoing support.
Rabbi Ariel Eliyahu noted that the association’s activity continues to expand, including shared Shabbat gatherings and professional conferences designed to strengthen ties among the rabbis and allow mutual learning. At one of the recent Shabbat events, about 200 community rabbis and their wives took part, מתוך a sense of shared mission and strengthening sacred work in the different communities.
Later in the conversation, he shared the personal difficulty he experienced after his grandfather’s death. According to him, the late rabbi was a source of light, advice, and guidance for the family, and the void he left was very significant. However, he emphasized that despite the family connection, the rabbi never gave preferential treatment to his relatives and did not allow them to rely on his public standing to advance. “You have the ability to think, observe and move forward,” the rabbi used to tell his grandchildren, Rabbi Ariel said. In his words, the rabbi encouraged them to take initiative, act, and succeed on their own, but made sure not to use his name or status to open doors for them. “He wanted us to build ourselves through our work and effort, not because of family standing,” he said.
One of the most memorable recollections he mentioned was from Purim, when the rabbi used to dedicate special time to his family. On one of those days, when the house doors were locked to visitors, his grandson asked him how it was possible that he was not receiving the public precisely on a day when many wanted to meet him. The rabbi’s answer stayed with him: “Now it is my role to invest in the family, we will spend an hour with the family and then open the doors again to the public.”
Rabbi Ariel Eliyahu said this approach reflected the rabbi’s unique ability to combine broad public responsibility with deep commitment to his family. Despite the enormous burden placed on him as a public leader, he knew how to give his household the feeling that they were at the center of attention when their time came.
In closing, he said that the Communities Rabbis Association and the growing Torah activity around the legacy of Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu are a direct continuation of the vision he instilled for decades. According to him, the connection between rabbis, communities, and public servants, together with investment in the next generation, continues to guide the path the rabbi laid out and provides tools for dealing with the challenges of the present through faith, responsibility, and mission.