Rav Menashe Eichler Z”L, the father of MK Yisrael Eichler, was niftar in Yerushalayim on Monday morning 18 Teves at the age of 88. Hatzoloh was summoned to his home late in the morning and CPR was performed in an effort to resuscitate him.

He was a fourth generation Yerushalmi, who as a child, attended Talmid Torah Shomrei Chomos and then Yeshivas Torah Emmes.

He joined the Lechi during the British Mandate period and operated in Yerushalayim, persuading other avreichim to follow until there was a unit of young chareidim. During the War of Independence, he and his brother formed “Masmidim” to assist persons in the city. He fought in the June 1967 Six Day War as well as the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

He assisted in establishing a chevra kadisha in the city, which he ran for years. He dedicated his life to protecting holy sites in Israel, with an emphasis on Jerusalem.

He also merited serving the previous Belzer Rebbe ZT”L.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)