Baruch Dayan the truth: In the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood of Jerusalem, this morning (Saturday), at the age of 87, the Gaon Rabbi Ephraim Tzamel, one of the leaders of the ‘Or Simach’ Yeshiva in Jerusalem and the former secretary of the ‘Council’ of ‘Degal’ – passed away – after not getting up from his sleep.
The Gra Tzamel ztzel was born in Jerusalem in Tammuz 1337 to his parents Rabbi Moshe Tzamel ztzel and his mother Martha Haya A.E. who immigrated from Latvia and Lithuania.
At the outbreak of World War II, the family moved to Ramat Gan.
For many years he served as rabbi of the ‘Reut’ synagogue in Bnei Brak in addition to being a military rabbi with the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Dan district.
During the Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War, he served as the Chief Rabbi of the Armored Corps and was the head of the Center for the Families of the Martyrs. He was also the chief rabbi of the Air Force and the deputy chief military rabbi.
Later he served as the spiritual director of the ‘Or Simach’ yeshiva in Jerusalem.
With the establishment of Degal HaTorah in 1959, he served as the secretary of the Council, a member of the spiritual board of the Rabbinical Committee and head of the Degal branch in Jerusalem.
He was extensively engaged in counseling and guidance in children’s education, and served as head of the ‘Darchi Shalom’ yeshiva in Givat Yaarim, and educational director at the ‘Afiki Daat’ seminar in Jerusalem.
In 2006 he was awarded the honorary decoration ‘Dear Jerusalem’.
After moving from the Arzi neighborhood of the capital to live in Ramat Shlomo, he was the rabbi of the central synagogue ‘Zikhron Shlomo’ in the neighborhood.
He left behind a blessed generation of righteous men: his son-in-law the genius Rabbi Yisrael Zicherman, rabbi of the Berchfeld estate in Modi’in Elit.
Among his works: Moedi Yisrael, Zohar Al Yehudud, Peri Adar (collection of articles).
The funeral procession left this evening at 21:00 from his home at 18 Rabbi Hershler St. in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood of Jerusalem to the Mount of Repose – where he is buried.