Baruch Dayan HaEmmes: The Chief Sephardi Rav of Kiryat Motzkin, HaGaon HaRav Yosef Ochana ZT”L was niftar at the age of 82. He served as the city’s chief rabbi for 35 years.

The rav was born in Morocco and moved to Eretz Yisrael as a youth. He learned in Yeshivat Knesset Chizkiyahu in Rechasim. His father, Yitzchak Ochana, was the rav of Kiryat Shmona. After receiving semicha, he traveled to Argentina and served as the Chief Rabbi of Buenos Aires. He then moved back to Israel, serving as the rav of the Bat Galim neighborhood of Haifa.

In 5741 he was appointed the Chief Sephardi Rav of Kiryat Motzkin, replacing HaRav Yosef Levi ZT”L and he continued in that post until retiring at the age of 80, close to two years ago. A few weeks ago, the rav was admitted to Carmel Hospital due to a deterioration in his health and he remained there until his petira.

The Ashkava and hespedim began at 3:00PM in Beit Knesset Shlatei HaGiborim located at 5 Rav Yosef Levi Street in Kiryat Motzkin. The levaya will head towards Har Menuchos in Jerusalem at 4:00PM.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)