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Rabbi Yisrael Abuhatzeira, better known as
"Baba Sali", is commemorated each year in the town of Netivot
near the Gaza Strip, mainly by Jews of Moroccan descent.
The pilgrimage to the mystic's tomb is held on the
Jewish-calendar anniversary of his death and part of the
memorial ritual involves faithful prostrating themselves on his
grave stone and tossing unlit candles into a furnace.
Abuhatzeira was noted for his piety and was revered by his
followers, who believed in his ability to perform miracles and
heal the sick, among other means, through sprinkling drops of
water on them.
Israeli politicians of North African descent have also used
Abuhatzeira to rally their voters. He was born in Morocco either
in 1889 or 1890 where he spent most of his life studying the
Hebrew scriptures. He settled in Israel in 1970.
(Reporting by Amir Cohen; Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by
Alison Williams)
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