Rabbi Ovadia Yosef (1920-2013) | An author and halachic authority, public leader, the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, the spiritual leader and President of the Council of Torah Sages of the Shas party. Born in Baghdad and immigrated to Israel at the age of four. In 1968, he was elected as the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv-Yafo, in 1970 he won the Israel Prize for Torah literature, and in 1973 was chosen as the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel. Rabbi Yosef's rabbinical and political work reflected a deep commitment to advancing the rights and welfare of Sephardic Jews, and to social equality in general. He published dozens of books and was considered a pioneer in the field of Jewish halacha, which he interpreted in a progressive, flexible manner, adapted to modern life. He recognized the importance of a Jewish state, and saw Israel as a historic miracle. He passed away at the age of 93. His funeral was the largest in the history of Israel.