ר׳ איסר יהודה אונטרמן

ר׳ איסר יהודה אונטרמן (1886–1976) was a Lithuanian-trained halakhist, Religious Zionist leader and Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel. Born in Brest-Litovsk, he studied at Maltsh, Mir and Volozhin, becoming a disciple of ר׳ שמעון שקופ and receiving semikhah from ר׳ רפאל שפירא and ר׳ שמחה זליג ריגר. After founding a yeshiva in Vishneva, he served several communities and became rabbi of Grodno. In 1924 he was appointed rabbi of Liverpool, where he united communal institutions, strengthened Jewish education, founded an academy for Torah study and led British Mizrachi. He testified before the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry in support of Jewish settlement in Palestine. In 1946 he became Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Tel Aviv–Jaffa, established the Shevet MiYehuda kollel and, with ר׳ יעקב משה טולידאנו, created a special court for wartime agunot. Elected Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel in 1964, he served until 1972 and addressed conversion, medical ethics, marriage, statehood and public halakhah. His principal responsa and studies appeared as שבט מיהודה. He died in Jerusalem and was buried on the Mount of Olives.