Rabbi Yehoshua Zuckerman, an eminent spiritual leader of the Religious Zionist movement and the prestigious Yeshivat Har Hamor, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 83 after a battle with a serious illness.
Rabbi Zuckerman was affiliated with the Torani-Leumi portion of the Religious Zionist community, which inclines significantly toward ultra-Orthodox ideology, and was co-founder of several Torah study institutes, including Midreshet HaRova for women in Jerusalem and the Ayelet Hashahar yeshiva in Eilat.
He was highly regarded by senior military officers who grew up in yeshivas and pre-military academies (mechinot) affiliated with him and his movement.
The late scholar was an expert in the teachings of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of British Mandatory Palestine in the Land of Israel and one of the fathers of Religious Zionism.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett commended Rabbi Zuckerman for his life-long work to bring the word of the Torah to all parts of Israeli society and extended his condolences to the rabbi's family and students.
Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu also eulogized the late spiritual leader.
"I have met him many times in the past and was impressed by his love of the Land of Israel, the people of Israel, and the Torah of Israel," he said. "He was always welcoming to everyone. I share the grief of his family, his wife Malka, his children and students. May his memory be a blessing. Baruch Dayan Emet."