Religionאפרים גרינבלט

Ephraim Greenblatt

Ephraim Greenblatt was a rabbi and halachic authority who served the Jewish community of Memphis and was a disciple of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein.

1932 to 2014The responsa work Rivevos EphraimRabbinic leadership in MemphisDisciple of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein

Died: 3 January 2014
Occupation: rabbi

Ephraim Greenblatt was born in 1932 in Jerusalem

Greenblatt was born in Jerusalem in 1932 to Rabbi Avraham Baruch and Aliza Greenblatt. He was the oldest of 11 children, and the family lived in the Kerem neighborhood.

He studied at the Kletsk yeshiva in Rehovot under Rabbi Shach. In his youth he was active in Lehi under the code name Nachshon. He was held in prison after hiding weapons, escaped, and later handled telephones at a Lehi camp.

Poverty and his grandfather's advice led him to the United States. There he studied under Rabbi Moshe Feinstein at Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem in New York while serving a small congregation.

In 1952 Feinstein sent him to Memphis to strengthen the Jewish community. He served there as rabbi, head of the rabbinical court, yeshiva head, educator, shochet and mohel. His main work is the responsa collection Rivevos Ephraim, in 9 volumes.

His wife Miriam was killed in a road accident in 2002. In his last years he moved to Jerusalem, partly after losing money to fraud by Bernie Madoff. He died on January 3, 2014.

Milestones in Ephraim Greenblatt's life

1932
Born in Jerusalem.
1952
Sent by Rabbi Feinstein to serve as rabbi in Memphis.
2002
His wife Miriam was killed in a road accident.
2014
Died on January 3.

Ephraim Greenblatt served in the military

In his youth he was a member of Lehi under the code name Nachshon and handled telephones at a Lehi camp. He later enlisted in the IDF but was not drafted for health reasons.