Rabbi Avraham Menachem, Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Migdal HaEmek, Dies

Rabbi Avraham Menachem, the Sephardic chief rabbi of Migdal HaEmek, died overnight at 79. Born in Casablanca, he immigrated to Israel with his family at 15, studied at Tiferet Yisrael in Haifa and began teaching yeshiva students before his marriage. He was formally chosen as the city's Sephardic rabbi in 1984 and served for more than 40 years. Rabbi Menachem founded the Ner HaTzafon institutions and the Netzer HaTorah yeshiva, building kindergartens, Torah schools and kollelim that educated thousands; Sephardic Chief Rabbi David Yosef remembered him as a beloved spiritual leader who taught generations and preserved the traditions of Israel's communities.