Thousands mourn rabbi in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM — Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews on Sunday attended the funeral of an influential rabbi in Jerusalem, bringing parts of the city to a standstill.

The city’s entrance was closed to accommodate the funeral procession for Shmuel Auerbach, who died Saturday at the age of 86.

Auerbach was the leader of a breakaway faction of non-Hasidic ultra-Orthodox Jews of European descent. He headed a wing that rejected even registering with the military for the automatic deferrals his followers were granted. When some were jailed, thousands took to the streets on his orders, clashing with police and snarling traffic at major intersections.

The ultra-Orthodox are about 12 percent of Israel’s 8.7 million citizens.

For decades, the ultra-Orthodox have leveraged their political power into maintaining a segregated lifestyle. They run a separate network of schools, enjoy sweeping military draft exemptions and raise families with taxpayer support.

Military service is compulsory for most Israeli Jews, and the exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox have fed widespread resentment against what is seen as preferential treatment.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government recently rolled back previous legislation that had aimed to increase conscription — only to be struck down by the Supreme Court.

AP/ARIEL SCHALIT Ultra-Orthodox Jews gather during the funeral of Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach in Jerusalem on Sunday.