By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times

Today is the yartzeit of HaGaon HaRav Isser Yehuda Unterman (1886–1976), a talmid of Rav Shimon Shkop in the Etz Chaim Yeshiva in Maltsch. Rav Shkop zt”l was a Talmid of the Netziv and Rav Chaim Soloveitchik.
Rav was also the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel from 1964 until 1972 and the former chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv from 1946 – even before the establishment of the State of Israel. He was also the author of Shaivet MiYehudah, his response work.

Rav Unterman is cited authoritatively by Rav Ovadiah Yosef zt”l and the Tzitz Eliezer. His many Teshuvos were crucial in establishing many halachic rulings in regard to the fledgling State of Israel.

Rav Unterman was born in Brisk, the home town of both the Brisker Rav as well as Menachem Begin. In 1924, Rav Unterman was selected to become the head rabbi of Liverpool, England. Rav Unterman worked hard to relieve the suffering of refugees in England during the Second World War.

In 1946, Rav Unterman became the Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv and worked hard to reform the Bais Din system and reach out to chiloni Israelis. Rav Unterman died on 24 Shvat – on January 26, 1976 in Yerushalayim.

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