(YWN) HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Tuvia Weiss, zt”l, the gaavad of the Eidah HaChareidis, passed away on Friday night, July 29, at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem, at the age of 96.

His condition had been critical since the previous night.

HaRav Weiss was hospitalized two weeks ago due to a severe infection and suffered a further deterioration in his condition last week.

HaRav Weiss was born in Pezinok, near Bratislava in Czechoslovakia (currently in Slovakia) in 1926. In 1939, he was saved from Nazi Europe in the Kinderstransport organized by Sir Nicholas Winston, traveling to London alone with his family left behind.

As a child, he learned in Yeshivas Toras Emes of HaRav Moshe Schneider, zt”l. After his marriage, he learned in the Gateshead Kollel under HaGaon HaRav Eliyahu Dessler, zt”l. Following HaRav Dessler’s move to Eretz Yisrael, HaRav Weiss was appointed as the Rosh Kollel in his place.

A number of years later, HaRav Weiss returned to London, where he was appointed as the rosh mesivta in Yeshivas HaRama headed by HaRav Elyakim Schlesinger. At the same time, he began doing shimush in hora’ah (practical halacha) under HaRav Shlomo Baumgarten. Later he was appointed by HaRav Baumgarten as the rav of the Etz Chaim shul.

In 1966, he moved to Antwerp, where he lived for 37 years, serving as the rosh mesivta at the Etz Chaim yeshiva and later as dayan on the Antwerp Beis Din. He also served as the rav of the Gerrer Beis Medrash in the city.

He began his position as gaavad of the Eidah HaChareidis on July 14, 2003, after the death of his predecessor, HaRav Yisrael Moshe Dushinsky, zt”l.