Reserve Officer and Military Rabbi Yoel Asher Dies at 53 After Medical Procedure

Yoel Asher, a 53-year-old reserve captain and military chaplain who served in the IDF Rabbinate and the Military Liaison and Coordination Unit, passed away following a cardiac catheterization at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer. Born in Switzerland in 1973 to Rabbi Avraham Uri Asher and Esther, he studied at Slabodka Yeshiva in Bnei Brak and Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem, where he was a student of Rabbi Aharon Hadash. After marriage, he settled in Netanya with his wife, originally from the Schwartz family.

Asher was known for his close scholarly relationship with Rabbi Dov (Berl) Zaks, a prominent figure at Slabodka Yeshiva for young men. During the recent war, he served in the Shura military camp, assisting in identifying thousands of victims from the Hamas attack on Simchat Torah. In late January, he was attacked by extremists in Bnei Brak while wearing his military uniform, who threw objects at his car. The following day, the Shomrim organization honored him with a letter and a special gift.

Friends describe him as a kind Jew devoted to helping others, a trait evident during the war when he volunteered to identify fallen soldiers. He is survived by three married children, grandchildren, and descendants. Just two weeks before his death, he celebrated his grandson's brit milah. His funeral took place on Monday at 5 p.m., from his home on Avraham Shapira Street 14 in Netanya to the veterans' cemetery in the city, where he was laid to rest. May his soul be bound in the bond of life.