Baruch Dayan Emmes: HaGaon HaRav Yosef Chaim Sitruk, former Chief Rabbi of France, was niftar if a difficult illness on Sunday morning, 22 Elul at the age of 73. Rav Sitruk held the post of Chief Rabbi from June 1987 to June 2008.

The name “Chaim” was added when the rav suffered a severe stroke in 2001.

The rav was born in Tunis in 1944. He received semicha in 1970. He lost his bid for re-election as Chief Rabbi of France on June 22, 2008, against Rabbi Gilles Bernheim, who had previously run against him on the 1994 Chief Rabbinate elections and failed.

The rav’s condition took a significant turn for the worse in recent weeks and his last public appearance was about two months ago.

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(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo: Media Resource Group)