Rabbi Moshe Grylak, Editor Of Mishpacha, Passes Away At Age 87

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — One of the first and most prominent chareidi journalists and a founding member of the Arachim – Teshuva organization, Rabbi Moshe Grylak, passed away in Jerusalem Tuesday evening at the age of 87.

Born in Antwerp, Belgium to a chasidic family in 1936, Rabbi Grylak’s family fled to France during the German occupation, living under the Vichy government disguised as gentiles. In 1942, when he was 6, Grylak was smuggled over the Swiss border with three other younger children and lived with foster parents until after the war.

Reunited with his parents in 1945, Grylak immigrated to Israel, living in Bnei Brak. He studied in Kol Torah and Ponovezh yeshivas, learning together with former chief rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau.

Grylak served in the IDF, doing reserve duty with the air force, and fought in the Yom Kippur War. In 1966 he travelled to Sao Paolo as a Jewish Agency emissary and spent four years in the community. After his return Rabbi Grylak was one of the first initiators of the Teshuva movement, establishing the Arachim movement to facilitate those searching for Jewish consciousness.

Later Grylak started to write in secular newspapers on Jewish matters, including a column called “Know your Judaism” in Maariv. Later he wrote a column on the parsha for many years which evolved into his books “Know your Judaism” “Parsha U’Pishra”, and “Parsha V’Likcha”. His English Hagadah published by Artscroll was called In Every Generation.

In 1985 Grylak was appointed as the editor of Yated Neeman, serving in that role for over three years. Later he served as the chief editor of the Mishpacha magazine for a period of 30 years until his death.

An accomplished author, Rabbi Grylak also published a number of children’s novels under the name Ch. Eliav.

Rabbi Grylak moved from Bnei Brak to the Har Nof neighborhood in Jerusalem. He is survived by his six children and grandchildren (his wife predeceased him in 2019). The levaya took place in Jerusalem on Tuesday night.

May his memory be blessed.