Senior Sephardic Rabbi in Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter Critically Injured After Fall

Rabbi Eliyahu Medina, the Sephardic chief rabbi of Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter, suffered a serious head injury after falling down the synagogue stairs following the dawn prayer service. The incident occurred early in the morning as Rabbi Medina was leaving the synagogue after the sunrise prayer. He fell on the stairs, sustaining a heavy blow to his head and significant bleeding. The synagogue's gabbai (warden) found him in a critical condition with impaired consciousness only at 8:30 a.m., after the next prayer group began, and immediately called emergency services.

Magen David Adom paramedics transported Rabbi Medina to Shaare Zedek Medical Center, where he remains in a severe condition, sedated and on a ventilator. In a traditional act of spiritual support, the rabbi was given the additional name "Raphael" today as a merit for recovery. The public has been urged to pray fervently for the full recovery of Rabbi Eliyahu Raphael ben Saada, invoking divine mercy for his health and for all of Israel's sick.

This call for prayers highlights the community's concern for the rabbi's wellbeing, reflecting his prominent religious role in the Old City's Jewish Quarter. Medical updates are awaited as he remains hospitalized in critical condition.