Former IDF chief rabbi, champion of religious Zionism passes away

Former IDF Chief Rabbi Avichai Ronsky supported the establishment of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.

By: World Israel News Staff

Former IDF chief rabbi and a leader of religious Zionism Avichai Ronsky passed away on Sunday after a long battle with cancer.

Rabbi Ronsky was the fifth chief rabbi of the IDF, and retired with a rank of Brigadier General. He established the Yeshiva at Elon Moreh in 1980 and in 1984 was a founder of the Jewish community of Itamar in Samaria and served as the communities rabbi until his death.

During Operation Cast Lead in 2008-2009, Rabbi Ronsky gave soldiers lectures and Torah classes before they entered battle and reportedly entered the Gaza Strip several times with combat soldiers, in an effort to strengthen their resolve as they prepared to fight against terrorist groups.

In 2012, Rabbi Ronsky entered politics together with Jewish Home party leaders Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked. He ran with the party in the Knesset elections but failed to get elected. Later that year, Rabbi Ronsky volunteered to donate a kidney, but during medical examinations before the surgery, a malignant tumor was discovered.

Ronsky was born to a non-religious Jewish family and became religious while serving in the army. In 1969, he began his military career in the elite combat unit Shayetet 13 and later led the Sayeret Shaked unit as company commander fighting in the Yom Kippur War.

Rabbi Ronsky is survived by a wife and six children.