Israel today mourned the death of Rabbi Yehuda-Leib Maimon, who was laid to rest here after funeral services and a procession through the streets of the capital led by President Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, members of Israel’s Supreme Cabinet, and the members of Israel’s Cabinet.
Rabbi Maimon, who died Tuesday night at a hospital in Tel Aviv, at the age of 87, was Israel’s first Minister for Religious Affairs. He was also the last survivor among religious leaders who founded the World Mizrachi Organization, in 1904.
In accordance with the late Rabbi’s wishes, there was no eulogy delivered at the grave- side. However, Speaker Kaddish Luz, of Israel’s Parliament and spokesman for all the parties, read solemn and highly-laudatory eulogies in Parliament.
In his last will and testament made public today, Rabbi Maimon asked that the inscription to be engraved on his tombstone consist only of his name and the dates of his birth and death. He enjoined his family from ever resorting to a civil court in case of a family dispute, expressing the wish that such cases must be taken only to rabbinical courts.
The will provides that his entire vast library, consisting of 40,000 volumes, goes to his only daughter, Mrs. Geula Raphael. She is the wife of Deputy Minister of Health Yitzhak Raphael. Rabbi Maimon had stipulated in his will that no part of his library may be sold.
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