Dozens of students at Yeshivat AMIT Amichai Junior and Senior High School held a special inter-generational study session with their mothers and grandmothers at the Rehovot school’s beit midrash recently.
The study hall was filled with families learning together about the late Rabbi Yitzhak Nissim, a former Sephardi chief rabbi, and his wife, Victoria, who were chosen as “Figures of the Year” by the national religious educational system.
Rabbi Nissim, who was born in Baghdad and immigrated to Jerusalem in 1925, served as chief rabbi for 18 years. “Noted for his independence of thought, Nissim sought to create a harmonious relationship between all sections of Israel’s society, including its secular element,” according to his obituary in JTA. “He traveled frequently to kibbutzim to discuss religion with kibbutz members.”
The inter-generational study session underscores what is intrinsic to AMIT’s pedagogical philosophies, that is teaching Jewish values and Torah studies, and making the learning experience one of inclusion – this one among older and younger learners. Likewise, the focus on learning about the accomplishments of Rabbi Nissim, who sought to bring together Israel’s religious and non-religious sectors, also aligns with AMIT’s value of Klal Yisrael.
The guest of honor at the event was Moshe Nissim, the couple’s son and Israel’s former deputy prime minister and justice minister. He told those present about his parents and their life, describing how special and unique they were.
