Rabbi Ovadia Yosef
Rabbi Ovadia YosefFlash 90

In preparation for next week's evening commemorating the first anniversary of former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's passing, his son Rabbi Avraham Yosef came out against those organizing the event.

Speaking on Radio Kol Hai, Rabbi Avraham Yosef criticized the event's organizers, whom he said were desecrating his father's memory.

"My heart cries when I hear about this, this wasn't my father's way [of life]. No one received permission from us to do this," he said.

Rabbi Yosef emphasized that the only rabbi in whose memory we hold a yearly event is Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, author of the Zohar.

"My father always said that the day a righteous person dies is a fast day, not a day of celebration. I can't imagine what my deceased father would have thought of this," he concluded.