Weiss was considered a prominent, hard-line ultra-Orthodox leader, known for his uncompromising efforts to enforce Shabbat restrictions and prevent Yeshiva students from being drafted into the military. It did, however, support families who lost loved ones in the military and prevent ultra-Orthodox protests against the state during Memorial Day, according to the Ynet news website. Weiss died on Saturday at the age of 95. Mourners marched from the rabbi’s home in Jerusalem’s Givat Moshe neighborhood via Mea Shearim and Sultan Sulayman Street to the Mount of Olives Cemetery, where the burial took place. Get The Times of Israel Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories By signing up, you agree to the terms Police had prepared for the funeral by blocking off some of the capital’s main streets, including Haim Bar Lev Street in both directions and all streets leading to it, Ha-Nevi’im Street, the Damascus Gate area, the Sultan Sulayman Street, streets around Rockefeller. Museum and the section of Jericho Road that leads to the Mount of Olives. Rabbi Yitzchok Tuvia Weiss, Chief Rabbi of the Eda Haredit faction, attends a protest outside a construction site in Har Gillo, claiming that the construction site is desecrating Jewish graves, on October 18, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90) Motorists were asked to use alternative routes and an increased police presence was sent to the capital to ensure the event was peaceful. Mourners began walking to the cemetery around 10 a.m., according to Jewish media. Until 3 p.m. most roads reopened and most attendees began to disperse. Ultra-Orthodox mourners surround the body of Rabbi Yitzchok Tuvia Weiss, during his funeral procession in Jerusalem, July 31, 2022. (Menahem KAHANA / AFP) According to the Walla news website, a few limited clashes were reported between mourners and police during the day. Arriving at the rabbi’s home Sunday morning for final coordination with the family before the funeral, two police officers were verbally assaulted as some called them “Nazis” and “murderers,” Walla said. Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men attend the funeral of Rabbi Yitzchok Tuvia Weiss in Jerusalem, July 31, 2022. (Menahem KAHANA / AFP) In another incident, some mourners confronted police officers who were at the scene to help direct traffic, the report said. Weiss fell ill earlier this year after an unspecified infection and was released from the hospital about a month ago, but his condition worsened in recent days. He was treated at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center in Jerusalem, where he was put on a ventilator and sedated until he died. Ultra-Orthodox Jewish children watch through a window the funeral procession of prominent Rabbi Yitzchok Tuvia Weiss in Jerusalem, July 31, 2022. (Menahem KAHANA / AFP) Weiss was a prominent leader among the extremist anti-Zionist, ultra-Orthodox factions. He was born in Slovakia and arrived in Great Britain as part of the Kindertransport before the outbreak of World War II. He was a community leader in Antwerp before taking over the leadership of the Eda Haredit group in 2004. Edda Haredit strongly opposes Zionism and its followers, numbering in the tens of thousands, refuse to accept any government funding. It wields considerable influence through its Badatz kashrut certification, which is considered the gold standard by many in the ultra-Orthodox world, even among members of competing groups. Ultra-Orthodox Jewish mourners attend the funeral of prominent Rabbi Yitzchok Tuvia Weiss in Jerusalem, July 31, 2022. (Menahem KAHANA / AFP) The group sparked heated controversy in 2018 when it revoked its seal of approval from a winery, demanding that it ban its Ethiopian employees from handling its wine because of apparent doubt about their Jewish identity. Members of the Eda Haredit have also engaged in violent demonstrations against the IDF and the state, fighting with police and blocking streets in protest of the government’s recruitment policies. Join our Israeli cooking experience! Israeli cooking is stirring the world. Here’s your chance to join… The Times of Israel Community is excited to introduce our new virtual cooking series, B’Teavon, where world-renowned chefs show you how to make classic and modern Israeli dishes. Learn more Learn more Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this You are a devoted reader We are really glad that you read X Times of Israel articles last month. That’s why we started the Times of Israel ten years ago – to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world. So now we have a request. Unlike other media, we have not set up a paywall. But because the journalism we do is expensive, we invite readers to whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community. For just $6 a month you can support our quality journalism by enjoying Times of Israel ADS-FREE, as well as access to exclusive content available only to members of the Times of Israel Community. Thank you, David Horowitz, founding editor of the Times of Israel Join our community Join our community Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
