Rabbi Shmaryahu Yosef Nissim Karelitz (1926–2019) was one of the most respected and widely recognized poskim (arbiters of Jewish law) in the ultra-Orthodox world. Operating primarily from the Haredi hub of Bnei Brak, Israel, he was a pillar of the Lithuanian (non-Hasidic) community and established one of the most influential independent rabbinical courts in modern Jewish history.

Lineage and Elite Torah Heritage

Rabbi Nissim Karelitz was born into an illustrious rabbinic family in Europe before immigrating to Israel, where he spent his youth studying at the prestigious Ponevezh Yeshiva.

He was deeply shaped by his family connections to the legendary founders of modern Israeli Haredi culture:

• He was the nephew of Rabbi Avraham Yeshayahu Karelitz (the Chazon Ish), the spiritual founding father of modern Bnei Brak.

  
  

• He was the nephew of Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky (the Steipler Gaon).

• He was a first cousin to the revered Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky.

  
  

His wife, Leah (who passed away in 2015), was the daughter of Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Kopshitz of Jerusalem and the great-granddaughter of the historic Jerusalem rabbinic leader, Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld.

The Bnei Brak Rabbinical Court (Beis Din Tzedek)

While many major scholars are remembered for their lectures or books, Rav Nissim's greatest practical legacy is his pioneering work in Jewish jurisprudence.

In 1967, he established an independent Beis Din Tzedek (rabbinical court) in Bnei Brak, serving as its chairman (Av Beth Din) for 45 years until stepping down from day-to-day operations in 2012.

• Scope of Authority: Under his guidance, the court grew into one of the largest and most authoritative private rabbinical tribunals in the world. It bypassed governmental structures to handle thousands of complex civil cases, financial disputes, marital conflicts, and highly sensitive conversions to Judaism.

• Universal Respect: His legal rulings were revered for their absolute integrity and deep analytical logic.Because of his personal stature, the authority of his court was accepted across fractured lines, binding together disparate Hasidic, Lithuanian, and Sephardic factions.

  
  

Political and Leadership Roles

Though fundamentally a man of halacha (law) rather than public policy, his standing demanded a seat at the highest tables of leadership.

• Agudat Yisrael (1976): He was appointed to the Council of Torah Sages of Agudat Yisrael, which at the time served as the unified political voice for almost all ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel.

  
  

• Degel HaTorah (1988): When Rabbi Elazar Menachem Shach split the community to establish a distinct political home for the Lithuanian faction, Rav Nissim moved with him, becoming a founding member of the new Council of Torah Sages for the Degel HaTorah movement.

  
  

• Community Health: He also lent his rabbinic weight to the community's physical welfare, serving as a member of the Vaad Halacha (Jewish legal board) for the Ma'aynei Hayeshua Hospital in Bnei Brak.

  
  

Passing and Legacy

Rabbi Nissim Karelitz passed away in Bnei Brak on October 21, 2019, at the age of 93.

His passing marked the end of an era, drawing tens of thousands of mourners from across Israel to his funeral procession, which brought the city of Bnei Brak to a complete standstill. He was eulogized by his cousin, Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, and the Ponevezh Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Gershon Edelstein. He is remembered as a quiet but monumental architect of private Jewish legal infrastructure who preferred the steady rigor of the courtroom to the spotlight of political activism.