Rabbi Shaul Yisraeli was one of the distinuguished rabbis of religious Zionism

Religious Zionism

Religious Zionism is an ideology that combines Zionism and Jewish religious faith...

. He served as a rabbi, as a dayan in the Supreme religious court of Israel, as a member of The Chief Rabbinate Council, as Rosh Yeshiva

Rosh yeshiva

Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...

 of Mercaz HaRav

Mercaz haRav

Mercaz HaRav , more properly, Mercaz HaRav Kook ), is a national-religious yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel, founded in 1924 by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook. It has become synonymous with his teachings....

, and as President of the Eretz Hemdah Institute. Rabbi Yisraeli additionally won the Israel Prize

Israel Prize

The Israel Prize is an award handed out by the State of Israel and is largely regarded as the state's highest honor. It is presented annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state ceremony in Jerusalem, in the presence of the President, the Prime Minister, the Knesset chairperson, and the...

 in Judaic Studies.

Childhood

Rabbi Yisraeli was born in the city of Slutsk

Slutsk

Slutsk is a town in Belarus, located on the Sluch River south of Minsk. As of 2010 its population is of 61,400).-Geography:The town is situated in the south-west of its Voblast, not too far from from the city of Soligorsk.-History:...

, White Russia

White Russia

White Russia or White Ruthenia is a name that has historically been applied to a part of the wider region of Ruthenia or Rus', most often to that which roughly corresponds to the eastern part of present-day Belarus including the cities of Polatsk, Vitsyebsk and Mahiliou. In English, the use of the...

 to Rabbi Binyamin and Chava Isralite. Rabbi Binyamin was the rabbi and Av Beit Din (Chief Rabbinical Judge) of Koydanovo, near Minsk

Minsk

- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...

, devoting himself to its spiritual rehabilitation after World War I. Rabbi Binyamin was arrested by the Soviets for teaching Torah

Torah

Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...

 to community members and sent to Siberia

Siberia

Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...

, and subsequently, all contact with him was lost. Chava was later murdered by the Nazis.

As a youth, he learned in the Talmud Torah and Yeshiva Ketana under Rabbi Yehezkel Abramsky

Yehezkel Abramsky

Yehezkel Abramsky , also affectionately referred to as 'Reb Chatzkel Abramsky', was a prominent and influential Orthodox rabbi and scholar, born and raised in Russia who later headed the London Beth Din for 17 years....

 in Slutsk; this during the period when Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer

Isser Zalman Meltzer

Isser Zalman Meltzer, , was a famous Lithuanian Orthodox rabbi, rosh yeshiva and posek. He is also known as the "Even HaEzel" - the title of his commentary on Rambam's Mishne Torah....

was the Rosh Yeshiva.