The late Rabbi Menachem HaCohen passed away today (Saturday) at the age of 93.
The late rabbi, publicist, politician, and Israeli thinker, who served as rabbi of the Moshavim movement for more than 55 years. He served as a member of Knesset from the Alignment between 1974 and 1988, as rabbi of the Histadrut, and from 1997 to 2011 as Chief Rabbi of Romanian Jewry.
In addition, he authored books and articles.
Rabbi HaCohen, the late Rabbi, was born in Jerusalem in 1932 to his father, the scholar Rabbi Mordechai HaCohen. He began his studies at the Talmud Torah 'Etz Chaim', at the 'Aluma' school, and later studied for two years at the 'Chaye Olam' yeshiva, which operated at the time in Kikar Hashabbat, and in 1947, at the age of 15, he moved to study at the Hebron yeshiva.
In February 1954, upon completion of his military service, he was ordained to the rabbinate by Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Isaac Halevi Herzog zt"l.
In the army, he served in the Nahal. He was the editor-in-chief of the military rabbinate's magazine, 'Machanayim,' and served as a religious ceremonies officer. In 1955–1956, he served as a military rabbi in the Navy. He was an assistant to Rabbi Shlomo Goren and accompanied him in the liberation of the Western Wall and the Tomb of the Patriarchs during the Six-Day War.
Hacohen was one of the leaders of the "Religious Worker" movement. When Hacohen joined the Alignment faction and the Labor Party, he served in the Knesset on behalf of the Alignment from the Eighth to the Eleventh Knesset. In the run-up to the elections for the Twelfth Knesset, Hacohen did not run in the Labor Center elections for a place on its Knesset list.
From 1998 to 2011, he served as Chief Rabbi of Romanian Jewry.
He wrote hundreds of articles, both Gothic and journalistic, and was a regular columnist in the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth for about 15 years.
He was a member of the "Encyclopedia Britannica for Youth" editorial team. For decades he lived in the Hillel neighborhood in Ramat Gan, until he moved to Jerusalem.
In 2019, he was awarded the "Yakir Jerusalem" decoration and in 2023, he was awarded the President of the State of Israel's decoration.
He had two brothers, Rabbi Shmuel Avidor HaCohen and Rabbi Prof. Pinchas Pelai. Shalom Cohen wrote the book 'Siach Achim' about all three of them. He also had four sisters: Tova and Hatfogel (Gitit HaCohen), Sarah, Yehudit and Amrama, who was married to Rabbi Yehezkel Fogel.
Hacohen was married to Professor Deborah Hacohen, a historian from Bar-Ilan University, and had three children: Miron Hacohen, Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Professor Aviad Hacohen, Dean of the Shaarei Mada and Mishpat Academic Center, and Dr. Hagit Hacohen-Wolf, a psychologist.
President of the State Yitzhak Herzog paid tribute: "I was saddened to hear of the passing of the late Rabbi Menachem HaCohen, who was born in Mandatory Jerusalem and was honored to take part in the establishment and building of the State of Israel and the liberation of the Western Wall.".
""In all his various leadership roles over the years - when he served as Chief Rabbi of the Navy, as Rabbi of the Histadrut, as Chief Rabbi of Romanian Jewry, as a representative of the Moshavim movement, as a member of Knesset and so on - the Rabbi made sure to combine knowledge and diligence with integrity and decency, and above all, he stood out in his pursuit of moderation and unity, as an example and role model for his students and all those around him.
""I was honored to present him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for the year 2023 for his contribution to the people and the state and for his work for the unity of Israel and the development of Jewish and Israeli identity. I grieve his passing and send my condolences to his wife, historian Prof. Deborah HaCohen, to his children, including his son Prof. Aviad HaCohen, to his family, his many admirers and students. May his memory be blessed.".
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