Human tide of grief: More than 750,000 mourners line streets for funeral of revered ultra-Orthodox rabbi in Israel after his death, aged 94

He remained there for the rest of his life, becoming revered by many in the Jewish religious world, and was one of the few remaining leaders of the ultra-Orthodox community in Israel born before the Holocaust. 

Israeli media estimated that over 350,000 people attended the funeral procession from his home to a nearby cemetery, while police estimated 750,000 people had come out to pay their respects -  eight per cent of Israel's population.

Men and boys went to the city to pay their respects and be present at the funeral procession of the influential scholar

Those who were unable to get to the street could be seen standing on rooftops and looking out of windows in the city

Israeli media estimates 350,000 people went to the procession, which would mean nearly four per cent of the country's population attended

The vehicle carrying his body was escorted by police, with law enforcement closing several highways in the Tel Aviv area for hours to accommodate the procession

Police closed several highways in Israel's densely populated Tel Aviv area to traffic for several hours, and other main thoroughfares were expected to be gridlocked. Authorities urged the public not to drive into the area by car. 

The Communications Ministry said it was expecting cellular network outages in around the funeral due to high volume, and advised people to only make essential calls.

Aerial footage of the funeral showed enormous throngs of mourners, most dressed in the signature black suits and black hats typical of ultra-Orthodox men, filling Bnei Brak's narrow streets for blocks around the the late rabbi's house.  

Aerial footage of the funeral showed enormous throngs of mourners, most dressed in the signature black suits and black hats typical of ultra-Orthodox men, filling Bnei Brak's narrow streets for blocks around the the late rabbi's house.

A separate women's section was created in the streets of Bnei Brak for the funeral that the Magen David Adom, Israel's equivalent of the Red Cross, said was likely to be one of the largest ever gatherings in 'Israeli history' 

Thousands of police and paramilitary officers as well as volunteers were deployed to provide security for the funeral held 11 months after a disaster at Mount Meron, an ultra-Orthodox pilgrimage site where 45 people died in a stampede.

Rescue workers said several people suffered minor injuries, but a major crush had been avoided as Kanievsky's body was brought to the cemetery for burial. 

The insular ultra-Orthodox community makes up about 12% of Israel's 9.4 million people. 

They adhere to a stringent interpretation of Judaism, with a focus on Torah study and observance of tradition. 

Prominent rabbis like Kanievsky play a significant role in community life and act as arbiters in all matters.

Thousands of police and paramilitary officers as well as volunteers were deployed to provide security for the funeral on Sunday, March 20

Rescue workers said several people suffered minor injuries, but a major crush had been avoided as Kanievsky's body was brought to the cemetery for burial

A mourner pays his respects at the procession. Funerals play a key role in traditional Jewish life, and those of important rabbis often draw thousands of mourners

Funerals play a key role in traditional Jewish life, and those of important rabbis often draw thousands of mourners.

Although he held no official position, Kanievsky was considered a major luminary in the non-Hassidic ultra-Orthodox world.

On the streets, mourners paid tribute to the man who was the de facto head of what is commonly called the Lithuanian branch of ultra-orthodox Judaism. 

'I cried when I heard he was dead,' said 41-year-old Shlomo Lugassi, who had earlier unsuccessfully tried to push his way through the masses to reach the late rabbi's apartment. 

An Ultra-Orthodox Jewish man prays ahead of the funeral ceremony, which is though to be one of the largest gatherings in Israeli history

One mourner told AFP he had tried to push through the masses to reach the late-Rabbi's apartment. Shlomo Lugassi said: 'I cried when I heard he was dead'

Kanievsky's death was published on the front pages of nearly every newspaper in the country on Sunday, from liberal Haaretz to ultra-Orthodox dailies like Yated Neeman.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting that Kanievsky's death was 'a great loss to the Jewish people.'

On Saturday, March 19, opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu paid his respects at Kanievsky's home. 

Kanievsky's death was published on the front pages of nearly every newspaper in the country on Sunday, from liberal Haaretz to ultra-Orthodox dailies like Yated Neeman

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Kanievsky's death was 'a great loss to the Jewish people' and urged there not to be a repeat of the disaster at Mount Meron, where 45 people died in a stampede last year

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish people break into the cemetery to escort Rabbi Kanievsky's body during the funeral

Benjamin Brown, a professor of Jewish thought at Hebrew University, told AFP that Kanievsky 'came to be a figure of authority almost against his own will'.

'He wanted to keep learning and studying Torah (quietly)' but accepted a leadership role to help heal rifts within the Lithuanian haredi community, Brown said.

Israel's ultra-Orthodox Jews, or haredim, are split among various factions and groups, but Kanievsky was seen by some as a unifying figure.

Benjamin Brown, a professor of Jewish thought at Hebrew University, told AFP that Kanievsky 'came to be a figure of authority almost against his own will'

Despite his prominence, Kanievsky lived in a modest Bnei Brak apartment, where religious texts lined the walls of a small study

Aryeh Deri, a political leader and rabbi from the Sephardic haredi group - which has its roots in southern Europe and North Africa, rather than the Middle East - told Israel's Channel 11 that Kanievsky transcended 'definition'.

Despite his prominence, Kanievsky lived in a modest Bnei Brak apartment, where religious texts lined the walls of a small study.  

He came to public prominence at the start of the coronavirus pandemic when he instructed his followers that closing religious seminaries was more harmful than the virus. 

He later walked back those claims as infections raged in densely populated Bnei Brak.