Rav Chayim Yeoshua Zemel Zatsal

Rav Chaim Yehoshua Zemel was the Rav of the Talpiot-Arnona neighbourhood. He is a graduate of the Hevron Yeshiva and the High Beit Midrash for Rabanim Merkaz HaTorah. He received his Smicha from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. Born in Tel Mond, to Rav Mordechai Zemel Z"l who served as that area’s Rav for fifty years, he was exposed from childhood to a wide range of populations and social groups. Upon his arrival in Talpiot some 50 years ago, he did his best to enhance the Dati education here. At his initiative, the first neighbourhood Mamlachti Dati (State-financed Religious) kindergarten began operations in the Shul building, later moving to Kfar Etzion Street. To fill the needs of both young boys and girls for quality social activity, a youth movement maintained both Shabbat and weekday activities in the synagogue building, until the Ezra youth movement began operations here. To keep boys of Bar Mitzva age connected to the synagogue, he created for them a special Minyan on Friday night. For many years he invested tireless efforts into building a Mikve for the neighborhood – which only recently bore fruit, to great jubilation and relief for its residents. The rabbi always felt close to the residents of the neighborhood and the people of Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, both religious and secular, and worked for unity among all. At the end pf Shabbat of Parshat "Lech Lecha" 5783, the eve of 12th Marchesvan, the rabbi passed away, exactly 27 years after the death of his late daughter Rachel.