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Yitzhak Nissim

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Rabbi
Yitzhak Nissim
יצחק ניסים
TitleSephardic chief rabbi of Israel
Personal life
Born1896 (1896)
Died1981 (aged 8485)
ParentRabbi
Religious life
ReligionJudaism
DenominationOrthodox
Jewish leader
PredecessorBenzion Uziel
SuccessorOvadia Yosef
Began1955
Ended1972
A visit to Ashkelon by Rishon Lezion Rabbi Yitzhak Nissim and Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Isaac Herzog (1955)

Yitzhak Nissim (Hebrew: יצחק נסים; 1896 – August 9, 1981) was a Sephardic chief rabbi of Israel. Nissim was born in Baghdad and immigrated to Israel in 1925. He studied under Rabbi Sadqa Hussein.

In 1955, he became Chief Sephardic Rabbi. As a gesture of goodwill, he visited some kibbutzim, which at that time were predominantly Ashkenazi and secular. He was also emphatic that the Bene Israel, who had been rejected as Jews by other rabbis, were Jewish.[1]

In 1964, Pope Paul VI visited Israel but refused to visit the heads of other religions, insisting that they come visit him. In protest, Nissim boycotted this visit, insisting that he was willing to visit the Pope as long as there would be reciprocity if a chief rabbi came to the Vatican.[2]

He was the father of Moshe Nissim and Meir Benayahu [he].[3]

References

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  1. Gilbert, Martin (1998). Israel: A History. New York: William Morrow and Company. ISBN 0-688-12362-7.
  2. Fendel, Hillel (April 6, 2006). "Peres Meets With Pope in Vatican". Israel National News.
  3. Bergman, Ronen (July 25, 2012). "A High Holy Whodunit". The New York Times.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
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