Close associate of former Chief Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi Doron speaks to Arutz Sheva about him: He shied away from controversy, a man of peace.

A memorial marking the conclusion of the Shiva (seven-day mourning period) for Israel’s former Chief Sephardic Rabbi, Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi Doron, was held in Jerusalem on Tuesday in a limited format due to the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.

In a conversation with Arutz Sheva, Yehuda Hazan, an associate of Rabbi Bakshi Doron, described the passing of the rabbi as "a great loss of all the people of Israel."

"In normal times, the rabbi would have had a huge funeral. Unfortunately, we did not get this, but everyone joins together and cherishes his memory," Hazan added.

"We hardly ever found Rabbi Bakshi Doron in any controversy. He was a man of peace. When he was elected Chief Rabbi, he asked not to wear the robe in order to honor his rabbi," said Hazan.

Hazan added that in the synagogue where the rabbi prayed, he would sit among the rest of the worshipers modestly. "We saw in the rabbi a great figure of a father and a leader."