Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of the State of Israel
Chief Rabbi Israel Meir Lau was born 1937 in Pyotrekov, Poland. He lost
his parents during the Holocaust. Israel Meir Lau is a survivor of the
Buchenwald concentration camp.
After his liberation he immigrated to Israel and lived with his uncle.
He learned at a religious state school in Kiryat Shmuel. He then studied
at Talmud academies in Jerusalem, Zichron Ya'akov and Bnei Brak.
1971 Israel Meir Lau was ordained and served as rabbi in the Or Torah
congregation in Tel Aviv. In the same year he was appointed rabbi of Northern
Tel Aviv.
1979 he was chosen Chief Rabbi of Netania and in 1983 he became a member
of the Rabbinical Council where he was part of the committee for medicine
ethics.
From 1988 to 1993 Israel Meir Lau served as Chief Rabbi and head of the
Rabbinical Court of Tel Aviv - Jaffa. 1993 he was appointed Ashkenazi
Chief Rabbi of the State of Israel.
Among his publications are: "Yahadut - Halacha Le'ma'ase" on Judaism in
daily life and the two volumes of "Yachel Israel" on medicine, ethics and
Jewish customs.