The condition of Rabbi Yehuda Deri of Be'er Sheva has taken a turn for the worse, Kikar Hashabbat reported.
Rabbi Deri, chief rabbi of the southern city of Be'er Sheva and head of its rabbinical court, was hospitalized last month in serious condition, following an infection in his leg.
On Tuesday, his family members turned to the public, saying, "His condition has turned critical - there has been a serious deterioration in the rabbi's condition."
"We beg the public to call out to the Heavens and pray for the recovery of Rabbi Refael Yehuda, the son of Esther."
At the beginning of last week, doctors at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center succeeded in weaning Rabbi Deri off the ECMO machine he had been connected to for ten days. The procedure was successful but in the past several hours, Rabbi Deri's condition has deteriorated.