Rabbi Aryeh Stern, Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem and a leading figure in the Religious Zionist community, has died at the age of 81. For decades, he stood at the center of religious scholarship and education, serving on the Chief Rabbinate Council and heading the Halacha Brura Institute, which he co-founded in 1970 at the request of Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook.

Born in Tel Aviv in 1944, Rabbi Stern was shaped by both Religious Zionist and Hasidic influences. A devoted תלמיד of Mercaz HaRav Yeshiva, he later became one of its prominent teachers and a central educational leader across numerous yeshivas. He also served in the Paratroopers Brigade reserves during the Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War, experiences he said deepened his sense of national responsibility.

Elected Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem in 2014 after a long vacancy in the role, Rabbi Stern sought to serve all residents of the city. He worked to expand access to religious services, strengthen kosher supervision, and encourage dialogue between religious and secular communities, while maintaining firm commitment to Jewish law.

Remembered for his vast scholarship, humility, and attentiveness, Rabbi Stern is survived by his wife, seven children, and a legacy that shaped generations of students and Jerusalem’s religious life.