Rabbi Elya Svei, the retired head of the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia and a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, was buried in Jerusalem on Friday, after passing away Thursday. A primary student of Rabbi Aharon Kotler, Rabbi Svei was a son-in-law of Rabbi Avraham Kalmanovitz, the founder of the Brooklyn branch of the Mir Yeshiva.
Rabbi Svei was internationally known for his incisive, brilliant, and clear lessons, and his ability to offer sage advice to thousands of Jews worldwide. Until his recent illness, he was regarded as one of the foremost leaders of hareidi religious Jewry.
Rabbi Svei replaced Rabbi Dov Schwartzman in 1955 as a joint-head of the Talmudic Yeshiva of Philadephia after Rabbi Dov Schwartzman left the yeshiva, which was founded two years earlier.
Following a midday funeral observance at the yeshiva, the rabbi's remains were brought to JFK Airport for a 5:00 pm EDT ceremony, before being flown to Israel for burial on Friday. Over a thousand mourners congregated at Jerusalem's Mir Yeshiva on Friday to pay their last respects to the great Torah sage.