Chaim Meir Drukman

Rabbi Chaim Meir Drukman (16 Cheshvan 5693 - 2 Tevet 5783/1932-2022) was a prominent rabbi and leader in the National Religious community. He served as the president of the Hesder Yeshivot Association, head of Or Etzion Yeshiva, rabbi of Merkaz Shapira community, head of the yeshivot and ulpanot network, and a member of the Bnei Akiva movement leadership. Previously, he served as a member of Knesset and as the head of the Conversion Authority.

Life History

Born on 16 Cheshvan 5693 in the town of Kitov, Poland (today in Ukraine). During the Nazi occupation, he hid with his parents, who later fled with him to Romania, where they entrusted him to a Jewish couple who had obtained certificates for entry into Eretz Yisrael. Initially, he was supposed to sail on a particular ship, but he and the couple missed the departure and boarded another vessel. They later learned that the ship they were supposed to board had sunk, and they were miraculously saved. A few years later, his parents also arrived in Eretz Yisrael, and the family was reunited.

Rabbi Drukman studied in religious-Zionist institutions and later enlisted in the IDF. Afterward, he studied under Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook at Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav.

In 5714 (1954), he was appointed as a counselor in the Bnei Akiva youth movement. In 5715 (1955), he traveled to the United States on a mission for the movement. He led the movement's shift toward yeshiva education in the Religious Zionist community. He remained in the United States until 5717 (1957).

Under the guidance of his teacher, Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook, he established Or Etzion Yeshiva, both Hesder and high school divisions (the high school division was also headed for a period by Rabbi Chaim Benimini), and he remained its head until his passing, in addition to his role as head of the Bnei Akiva yeshivot.

In 5737 (1977), he was appointed as a Knesset member for the National Religious Party (Mafdal). In 5741 (1981), he was appointed Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs. However, after 7 months, he resigned from the position due to the approval of the withdrawal from Sinai under the peace agreement with Egypt.

In 5744 (1984), he left the Mafdal and established the Matzad party - the Religious Zionist Camp. The party merged with Poalei Agudat Yisrael to form the Morasha party. In those elections, many Chabad chassidim voted for the party, both because of Rabbi Drukman's firm stance on the integrity of the Land of Israel and primarily because of the connection with Poalei Agudat Yisrael, for which many chassidim had voted over the years.

In 5746 (1986), he left Morasha and returned to the Mafdal. In 5749 (1989), he left the Knesset.

In 5754 (1994), Rabbi Drukman was wounded in a shooting attack in which his driver was killed. Due to concerns that it was an assassination attempt on the rabbi's life, security was placed around his home.

In 5757 (1997), he headed the Committee for the Conversion of Minors. In 5759 (1999), at the request of Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu and Rabbi Avraham Shapira, he returned to the Mafdal and served again in the Knesset until 5763 (2003).

That same year, Rabbi Drukman was appointed to serve as the head of the Conversion System in the Prime Minister's Office. Rabbi Drukman took a lenient approach in his conversions, which led to protests against him, led by the judge Rabbi Avraham Sherman, who challenged thousands of Rabbi Drukman's conversions. Eventually, Rabbi Amar validated them.

Rabbi Drukman completed his role in the Conversion Authority in 5772 (2012), and that same year he was awarded the Israel Prize. In 5773 (2013), he was a member of a rabbinical committee that advised the Jewish Home party. From 5781 (2021), he became known as the spiritual guide of the "Religious Zionism" party and was usually referred to in the media as the leader of Religious Zionism or as the "elder rabbi" of this community. He served as the president of the "Rabbis of the Good Land Torah" organization - a kind of supreme rabbinical council for Religious Zionism.

He passed away on the eve of 2 Tevet - Zot Chanukah 5783 (2022) after contracting the coronavirus.

His Relationship with the Rebbe and Chabad

During his aforementioned mission to the United States, he traveled to participate in a farbrengen with the Rebbe on 19 Kislev 5717 (1956). Subsequently, Rabbi Chaim Golovbsky arranged for him a private audience (yechidus) with the Rebbe. The yechidus lasted a long time, and the Rebbe discussed with him his educational activities within the Bnei Akiva framework. After Rabbi Drukman explained the difference between school activities and youth movement activities, and the reason why at youth movement gatherings they mainly speak about faith, the Rebbe told him that in his opinion, schools should also focus on matters of faith. The Rebbe also raised the issue of the lack of adherence to the principles of tznius (modesty) in Bnei Akiva activities.

Rabbi Drukman related that when his mother passed away, he received a letter of condolence from the Rebbe, even though he had not informed the Rebbe about the passing.

Rabbi Drukman made sure to participate in farbrengens in honor of 19 Kislev - the Festival of Redemption, and in other Chabad farbrengens and events.

After participating in a farbrengen held to mark the completion of the Rambam cycle on Saturday night in Kiryat Malachi, immediately after the farbrengen he flew to the United States and managed to attend the dollar distribution with the Rebbe on 27 Tevet 5751 (1991). Rabbi Drukman told the Rebbe about his words at the farbrengen, about the path the Rebbe leads in bringing Jews closer to Judaism through love. The Rebbe responded to him regarding the Rambam's words, that in the future era, all people of the world, not just Jews, will engage in "knowing Hashem." Rabbi Drukman also spoke with the Rebbe about the Jewish state of the immigrants from the Soviet Union, and finally, the Rebbe blessed him that since "you are known to stand firmly on your opinion," "you should increase even more in your firmness."

Additionally, Rabbi Drukman passed by the Rebbe on other occasions as well and participated several times in prayers with the Rebbe at 770.

Rabbi Drukman maintained a warm relationship with the Chabad community in Nachalat Har Chabad and in Merkaz Shapira, and occasionally participated in farbrengens with Rabbi Mendel Vechter, with whom he maintained a close personal relationship.

In 5764 (2004), he signed a call to adhere to the practice of the daily study of Rambam.

Family

His second cousin of Rabbi Druckman is the rabbi of Kiryat Motzkin, the Chasid Rabbi David Meir Druckman. The two maintained a close relationship between them[5].

Rabbi Druckman was married to Sarah, a physician, and the daughter of the famous Jewish professor Yaakov Nachum Epstein. They had nine children and they adopted an additional daughter. At the time of his passing, they had about two hundred grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

External Links

• That Everyone Will Know Hashem - Interview in 'My Encounter' magazine by JEM Video of the interview
• Moshiach Will Gather Even Those Born in America...
• Special: The Web of Connections Between Rabbi Chaim Druckman ע"ה and the Rebbe
• A Torch of Truth, memorial article by Rabbi D.M. Druckman. Kfar Chabad, issue 1990, p. 32.