Senior judge in rabbinic court system named as victim in Jerusalem attack

One of the three Israelis killed in a shooting attack at the entrance to Jerusalem on Thursday morning is Rabbi Elimelech Wasserman, who served as a rabbinical judge in the rabbinical court in Ashdod, according to Religious Services Minister Michael Malchieli.

Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, president of the First Supreme Rabbinical Court, said in a statement that he "mourns the tragic murder of the rabbinic judge, Rabbi Elimelech Wasserman, who was brutally killed by evildoers this morning in Jerusalem.

Yosef said of Wasserman that he "was a Torah scholar and one of the chosen few, even after retiring, who insisted on continuing to work on behalf of the legal system.

"The rabbinical courts will sorely miss his influential and benevolent presence. May the Almighty avenge his death and wipe away all tears..."

Minister Malchieli expressed his deep sorrow and shock upon receiving the news of the heinous murder of the esteemed judge "may his memory be a blessing," he said in a statement. "This tragic incident occurred as Rabbi Wasserman was en route to the Rabbinical Court in Ashdod," the minister added.

"Rabbi Wasserman, a distinguished figure within the Israeli Rabbinical Court system, held a senior and significant role, serving the people of Israel with unwavering dedication and a radiant spirit for many years," he concluded.

Wasserman's career as a rabbinic judge

Wasserman was born in Haifa, studied at the Seret Viznitz hassidic yeshiva in Haifa during his youth. After his marriage to the daughter of Rabbi Asher Freund, he pursued a career in the field of Jewish law. He studied under Rabbi Yosef Cohen, and received his ordination from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.

The victim was a descendant of the Belz Hasidic dynasty and was closely connected to the Belzer Rebbe. In recent years, he served as a judge in Ashdod and was also involved in monetary matters in Jerusalem for approximately ten years. He was considered one of the senior and experienced judges with extensive knowledge of the Talmud and Jewish legal rulings.

Wasserman is survived by his wife, many children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.