(Courtesy of World Mizrachi) The World Mizrachi movement has appointed Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon as its new nasi. The internationally acclaimed halachic expert, author, educator and lecturer succeeded Kurt Rothschild, who served as World Mizrachi’s president until his passing in 2022.

In a joint statement, World Mizrachi’s Rabbi Doron Perez and Rabbi Danny Mirvis hailed Rav Rimon as “an exceptional leader and ambassador for Mizrachi’s values of the people of Israel, the Torah of Israel, and the land of Israel.”

Mirvis, who has been acting CEO since Perez’s son Daniel was taken captive on Simchat Torah, added, “With Rabbi Doron Perez as our executive chairman and Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon as our nasi, we are blessed to be led by two individuals with incredible vision, passion for Jewish unity, and strong track records of growing and building major initiatives for the Jewish world.”

Together with the appointment of Rimon, World Mizrachi is also entering into a strategic partnership with Sulamot, an organization founded and chaired by Rimon, which develops cutting-edge educational technologies, experiential Jewish programming and innovative curricula for Jewish studies, taught in schools around the world. Sulamot’s most recent initiative, Atufim, works closely with kibbutzim in the Gaza envelope to provide urgent relief and long-term support for communities impacted by the war.

Since the commencement of the war, World Mizrachi has organized over 85 missions for thousands of participants from around the world to show support and solidarity with Israel. Through its five leadership training programs, global branches, shlichim, representatives in the national institutions, printed resources, online materials and programming, World Mizrachi provides Religious Zionist education and leadership for Jews across the world.

Rimon, who also serves as the chief rabbi of Gush Etzion and rosh yeshiva of Lev Academic Center (JCT) commented: “I believe deeply in the leadership of Mizrachi as well as the mission. Medinat Yisrael, Torah and Am Yisrael—I feel very connected to this vision. The Mizrachi movement has a unique shlichut, as it has had throughout the generations. Today the mission of Mizrachi is to bring unity in the Jewish people, to spread the light of Torah among the Jewish people, to bring the light of Eretz Yisrael to the whole world.”