Skip to main content

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef: The Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
The Palgrave International Handbook of Israel

Abstract

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the former Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel and spiritual leader of the Shas Party, was one of the past century’s foremost Jewish leaders. His impact manifested itself in a comprehensive and canonical halachic oeuvre that spanned decades, and in the establishment of a religious political party that redrew the Israeli political and social map in substantive ways. His life story, halachic method, and political path continue to generate research and critical interest, while constituting a source of inspiration and educational guidance for his followers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ben Haim, Avishay. 2018. Maran Ha-Rav Ovadia Yosef (Maran Rabbi Ovadia Yosef). Jerusalem: Carmel. (Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Caplan, Kimmy. 2006. “Ha-Harediut Ha-Mizrachit Ve-Ha-Dat Ha-Hammit: Sheney Mikrey Bochan” (Mizrachi Haredism and popular religion: Two test cases). In Shas: Eibetim Tarbityym Ve-Rayoniyym (Shas: Cultural and ideological perspectives), ed. Aviezer Ravitzky, 443–484. Tel Aviv: Am Oved. (Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Edelstein, Itamar, and Rivka Yosef Chakotay. 2022. Beit Yosef: Harav Ovadia Yosef – Hasipur Shlo Supar (Beit Yosef: The unknown story about Rabbi Ovadia Yosef). Rishon LeTsiyon: Miskal.

    Google Scholar 

  • El-Or, Tamar. 1994. Educated and ignorant: Ultraorthodox Jewish women and their world. Boulder: L. Rienner.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ettinger, Yair, and Nissim Leon. 2018. Beeyn Roe: Shas Ve-Haanaga Ha-Hredit Mizrachit Hacarey Idan Harav Ovadia Yosef (A Floch with no Shepered: Shas leadership the day after Rabbi Ovadia Yosef).

    Google Scholar 

  • Fiske, Gavriel. 2013. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef buried in largest funeral in Israeli history. The Time of Israel, 7.10.2013.

    Google Scholar 

  • Friedman, Menachem. 1998. The ‘family-community’ model in Haredi society. Studies in Contemporary Jewry 14: 166–177.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hacohen, Mordechai. 2014. Sefer Harav Ovadia Sheli (My Rabbi Ovadia). Jerusalem: Or Vaderech.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horowitz, Moshe. 1988. Harav Schach (Rabbi Schach). Jerusalem: Keter.

    Google Scholar 

  • Katzir, M. 1997. Ba-Asher Telech (Following you). Jerusalem: Machon Maor Ha-Rishonim.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lau, Benjamin. 2005. Me-Maran Ad Maram: Mishnato Ha-Hilchatit Shel Harav Ovdia Yosef (From Maran to Maran: The Halachic Philosophy of Rav Ovadia Yosef). Tel Aviv: Yedioth Aharonoth. (Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lehmann, David, and Batia Siebzehner. 2006. Remaking Israeli Judaism: The challenge of Shas. London: Hurst and Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leon, Nissim. 2007. “Zikui harabim”: Ovadia Yosef’s approach toward religious activism and his place in the Haredi movement within Mizrahi Jewry. Studies in Contemporary Jewry 22: 150–168.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2009. Harediut Raka: Hitchashut Datit Ba-Yaadut Ha-Mizrachit (Soft Ultra-Orthodoxy: Religious renewal in Oriental Jewry in Israel). Jerusalem: Yad Izhak Ben-Zvi.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2015. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the Shas Party and the Arab-Israeli peace process in the Middle East. The Middle East Journal 69 (3): 379–395.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2019. Images of Rabbi Uziel and their place in his commemoration. Journal of Israeli History 37 (1): 1–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2020. The Chief Sephardi Rabbi of Israel and his attitude towards the contemporary Sephardi diaspora. Quaderni di Dirrito e Politicia Ecceleiastica 1: 71–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Picard, Ariel. 2007. Mishnato Shel Harav Ovadia Yosef Be-Idan Shel Temurot (The philosophy of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef in an Age of Transition). Ramat-Gan: Bar Ilan University Press. (Hebrew).

    Google Scholar 

  • Raat, Menachem. 1998. Shas – Haruach Ve-Ha-Koach (Shas – The religious spirit and the political power), Ramat-Gan: Alpha Media.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raz-Karakotzkin, Amnon. 2000. Moresehet Rabin – Al Hiluniyut, Leumiyut, Ve-orientalism (Rabon legacy – On secularism, nationalism and orientalism). In Zikaron Be-Machloket: Mitos, Leumiyut and Demokratya (Contested memory – Myth, Nation and Democracy), ed. Lev Grinberg, 89–108. Beer-Sheva: Ben-Gurion University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tesler, Ricky. 2003. Beshem Hashem: Shas Ve-Ha-Mahapecha Ha-Datit (In the name of God: Shas and the religious revolution). Jerusalem: Keter.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yosef, Ovadia. 1979. Devarim ba-kinnus ha-arzi ha-31 le-torah she-ba‘al peh (Address at the thirty-first Oral law conference).

    Google Scholar 

  • Zohar, Zohar. 2007. The Sephardic halakhic tradition in the 20th century. Studies in Contemporary Jewry 22: 119–149.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nissim Leon .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Leon, N. (2023). Rabbi Ovadia Yosef: The Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel. In: Kumaraswamy, P.R. (eds) The Palgrave International Handbook of Israel. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-2717-0_110-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-2717-0_110-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-16-2717-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-16-2717-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Political Science and International StudiesReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

Publish with us

Policies and ethics