Amnon Haramati

Rabbi Amnon Haramati (September 29, 1930– March 30, 2017) was an Israeli-American educator, scholar, and community leader. He participated in the Battle for Jerusalem during the Israeli War of Independence, playing a crucial role in fending off a Jordanian attack on Independence Park. After a life-threatening injury ended his military service, he dedicated himself to education and Jewish scholarship. Rabbi Haramati became a prominent teacher at the Yeshiva of Flatbush in Brooklyn, New York, where he influenced generations of students with his deep knowledge of Talmud, Bible, and Jewish thought. He was an Orthodox Rabbi.

Early life
Rabbi Amnon Haramati was born in 1930, in Jerusalem. His parents were religious pioneers who immigrated to Eretz Israel in the early 1920s. Growing up in Jerusalem, Haramati was immersed in a vibrant cultural and religious environment that would shape his future path.

Military Service and the War of Independence
In 1948, Haramati had the privilege of participating in the Battle for Jerusalem during the Israeli War of Independence. At the time, the Israeli army was just being formed, and the state of Israel was in its nascent stages. Rabbi Haramati was assigned, along with one other soldier, to defend what is now known as Independence Park, located between King George Street and Agron Street in Jerusalem.

Despite the gravity of their task, their only forms of protection were a rifle, hand grenade and four bullets between them. When Rabbi Haramati expressed concern about the insufficient ammunition, his commanding officer replied, “That is all we have.” Faced with the imminent threat of an attack, Rabbi Haramati spent the night shivering with fear and praying. The anticipated attack did not occur that night, but the following night, the Jordanians launched their assault.

Noticing the Jordanian forces closing in, Rabbi Haramati fired a single bullet. Unbeknownst to him, the primitive rifle he was issued produced an enormous sound, which frightened the advancing Jordanian soldiers and caused them to retreat. However, in another battle in Eastern Jerusalem, Rabbi Haramati was struck in the skull by a bullet and was believed to be killed. Luckily, a young nurse noticed movement among the corpses and discovered that he was still alive. This marked the end of his military career and the beginning of a grueling journey of rehabilitation. He went through years of rehabilitation, during which he was told to abandon his dreams of becoming a rabbi and consider becoming a bus driver.

Education and Career
From 1947 to 1950, Rabbi Haramati attended Mizrahi Teachers College. He then pursued bachelor's and master's degrees at Hebrew University from 1951 to 1955. During these years, he also taught in various settings. For the 1949–50 school year, he was sent by the Ministry of Education to the children's village of Kfar Batya to complete his training as a teacher. In 1951, he began teaching at a school for underprivileged children and remained there until 1956.

In 1956, Dr. Joel Braverman, founder of the Yeshiva of Flatbush, invited Rabbi Haramati to join the faculty of the high school in Brooklyn, New York. He worked at the Yeshiva of Flatbush as a teacher of Talmud, Bible, Hebrew Language and Literature, Jewish thought, and Jewish law. He served as the chairman of the school's Bible Department for thirty years.

From 1959 to 1963, Rabbi Haramati studied in a doctoral program in Bible Studies with Professor H. L. Ginsberg at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Seven years later, he received semicha from Rav Yehuda Gershuni, a disciple of Rabbi Shimon Shkop, Rabbi Naftali Trop, Rabbi Boruch Ber Leibowitz and Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook, of Yeshivat Eretz Israel in Brooklyn, New York.

Community Service and Personal Life
In addition to his formal professional tasks, Rabbi Haramati dedicated his time to community service. He served as Vice President of the G.E.T. organization, which helps Jewish couples reconcile their differences or proceed in a dignified manner to obtain a get, a Jewish divorce. From 1978 until his death, he conducted an early morning Shabbat class for many adults in his neighborhood, Kemp Mill, including the parents of his high school students and other community members. This class involved an hour of intensive Torah study before Shabbat morning services.

Despite his accomplishments, Rabbi Haramati's life was not without hardship. The bullet lodged in his skull from the war could not be removed, causing him severe pain throughout his life. He often had to endure fits of pain, which he managed with remarkable strength and perseverance. One side of his brow, the right side, had about a one-inch square indentation, "as if a chisel had been taken to his skull".

Death & Burial
Rabbi Amnon Haramati passed away on Thursday morning, March 30, 2017, on the way home from morning minyan at Kemp Mill Synagogue. He was buried in his birthplace of Jerusalem.

Legacy
Rabbi Haramati's tenacity and dedication to his faith and education were evident throughout his life. He possessed a photographic memory, allowing him to recall with precision the exact words and locations of passages in the Torah, Talmud, and other Jewish texts. This remarkable ability made him an exceptional teacher and a revered figure in the Jewish community.

In 2017, Kemp Mill Synagogue established the Haramati Education Fund. An annual lecture series in his honor is offered between Shabbat HaGadol and Yom Haatzmaut/Yom Yerushalayim, focused on “MiGola LeGeula.”

Awards

 * Covenant Award - The Covenant Foundation (1994)