Rabbi Yehoshua Zuckerman, one of the senior rabbis of religious Zionism and one of the leaders of the Har Hamor Yeshiva, is being laid to rest in Jerusalem. His funeral procession departed from Har Hamor Yeshiva in Har Homa, to the Prophets' section of the Mount of Olives cemetery, where he will be buried. Rabbi Zuckerman passed away on the anniversary of the death of Rabbi Abraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook, on the 3rd of Elul. The prime minister, Naftali Bennett, paid tribute to the rabbi and called him "a great scholar, who has raised generations of students all over the country." He noted that "the rabbi worked for the people of Israel out of a deep mission, to bring the Torah to all corners of the country. My condolences to his large family and his many disciples." Opposition leader MK Benjamin Netanyahu praised him: "I heard with sadness about the passing of Rabbi Yehoshua Zuckerman, one of the most important and influential rabbis in religious Zionism. Rabbi Zuckerman immigrated to Israel, established the 'El Ami' movement, founded yeshivot and midrashot, and raised thousands of students." The rabbi passed away at age 83, after a struggle with a serious illness. Born in Belgium, he immigrated to Israel in the 60s and went to study with his teacher, Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Hakohen Kook, at Merkaz Harav yeshiva in Jerusalem. During his time at Merkaz Harav, he served as teacher of Talmud to army graduates, a position to which he was appointed by Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda. In 1968, he traveled to Paris, where he gave a Religious Zionist seminar managed by Rabbi Yehuda Leon Ashkenazi (Manitou). The rabbi was among the founders of the El Ami movement and also stood at its head. Ayelet Hashachar yeshiva in Eilat was founded on his initiative, after he spearheaded the founding of a Kolel Avrechim in Eilat. In 1997 he was one of the rabbis who left Merkaz Harav and founded Har Hamor yeshiva. There, he taught mainly Emunah and was one of the important rabbis at the yeshiva. He leaves behind a wife, Malka Zuckerman, and 12 children.
