Yaakov Israel Ifargan

Yaakov Israel Ifargan was born in Netivot, the son of Rabbi Shalom Ifargan, a kabbalist who studied the Zohar and maintained a close relationship with Baba Sali, one of the most revered Sephardic rabbis of the twentieth century.[2] His family traces its rabbinical lineage to Oufran, Morocco, in a dynasty spanning approximately 500 years.[1]

His early path was conventional by the standards of his community. He studied in a yeshiva, fulfilled his military service in the Israel Defense Forces as a supply clerk, and worked for a period at a factory in the Negev.[2] He began to attract attention in rabbinical circles around the age of 29, and after his father's death he gradually assumed the elder Ifargan's role and following.[2] Within fewer than ten years, he had transformed from an obscure yeshiva student into one of the most influential rabbinical personalities in Israel.[1]

Ifargan leads a rabbinical court based in Netivot, in southern Israel, which draws visitors from across the country and from abroad.[1] The court's reach extends well beyond the immediate community: politicians, senior business figures, celebrities, and public officials have sought audiences with him for blessings, spiritual guidance, and advice on personal and professional matters.[2][3]

Among the most prominent figures associated with his court was billionaire Nochi Dankner, described as a close confidant of 14 years.[4] Dankner was also said to consult Ifargan daily and seek his advice about business deals.[3] Annual gatherings near Netivot have attracted business figures, members of the Knesset, a senior police commander, and others; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a recorded video message of blessings to one such event.[4] When an Associated Press reporter asked Ifargan the secret of his success, he paused, looked toward the heavens and shrugged, before bodyguards ushered him into a black Mercedes-Benz.[4]

Ifargan's public profile was also reflected in a 2004 book about him and a 2010 documentary titled Einei Rentgen, directed by Sharon Kidon.[2]

A 2013 Jerusalem Post report described Ifargan and Rabbi Yoram Abergil as long-standing rivals running competing religious networks in Netivot and beyond.[5] In 2012, however, Ifargan reconciled with Rabbi Baruch Abuhatzeira ("Baba Baruch") at a meeting on the eve of Yom Kippur at Abuhatzeira's home in Netivot, ending a prolonged dispute between the two families and their courts. Tensions had partly arisen from competition between Ifargan's father's gravesite and the nearby Baba Sali burial site as pilgrimage destinations. At the reconciliation, Ifargan presented Abuhatzeira with an elaborate etrog box, and representatives of both sides discussed future cooperation, including joint events and a shared list in local elections.[6]

Central to Ifargan's following are regular communal rituals at the grave of his father, Rabbi Shalom Ifargan, in the Netivot cemetery. Every month, on the eve of Rosh Chodesh (the new month), a tikkun ceremony is held at the grave, combining singing, prayers, and blessings; at these gatherings Ifargan throws thousands of packets of candles to attendees who travel from across the country.[1]

The most significant event in the ritual calendar is the annual hilula — a commemorative gathering on the anniversary of Rabbi Shalom Ifargan's death — held near his grave in Netivot. The grave has grown into a major pilgrimage site, and attendance at the hilula has expanded substantially over the years. Associates quoted by Ynet reported approximately 15,000 people at one gathering, with plans to light more than 20,000 candles during the tikkun ceremony.[3] Academic research has described a community of miracle-seekers that formed around Ifargan, whose principal activity is participating in mystical rituals he conducts at a ritual center in Netivot's cemetery.[7]

Sociologist Feldman, as cited in a doctoral dissertation, characterizes Ifargan's followers as a "new religious community" — one whose members also participate in other social and religious networks rather than belonging exclusively to his circle. Feldman argues that such communities challenge conventional religious–secular distinctions by existing alongside established institutions rather than openly confronting them.[7]

In February 2025, Ifargan was reported to have been in close contact with families of hostages held in Gaza, offering blessings, advice, and encouragement. He prayed with family members near his father's grave and composed a devotional song for the hostages that was performed by cantors among his followers and broadcast on religious and Haredi radio stations.[8]

Ifargan serves as president of two umbrella institutions: Brit Shalom veHesed, which supports several kollels (Torah study fellowships), and Yad Yehudit, which assists families facing debt or economic hardship.[9] A third body, Kol Yehudit, operates boys' and girls' schools and kindergartens.[2] Together these institutions bring together religious study, elementary education, and social welfare programming across multiple locations in Israel.[2][9]

The institutions relied heavily on large private donations. Nochi Dankner donated at least NIS 20 million to Ifargan's organizations between 2005 and 2010.[2] Reports attribute subsequent financial pressure on the institutions partly to a decline in Dankner's own business fortunes and a corresponding drop in contributions, though those causal accounts came from people interviewed rather than from official findings.[2] Financial statements cited in reporting showed that stipends for kollel students fell from NIS 5.33 million in 2012 to NIS 3.4 million in 2015, while Yad Yehudit recorded a deficit of NIS 770,000 in 2015.[2] A spokesman for Ifargan stated that his charitable institutions and donations were "above board."[4]

The nickname "the X-ray" and the associated claims of diagnostic and supernatural discernment are accounts of followers' beliefs, not independently verified abilities.[2][3] Israeli Forbes rankings estimated Ifargan's net worth at various points as high as NIS 90 million, while a separate estimate placed his wealth at approximately $23 million; these are reported estimates from different periods and sources, not confirmed asset valuations.[4][2]

A 2021 Tel Aviv District Court decision addressed deposits totaling NIS 43.5 million in Ifargan's accounts between 2003 and 2014, ruling that approximately NIS 30 million constituted taxable income from his occupation. The court reasoned that money followers gave him — in the context of blessings, event appearances, and advice — could constitute occupational income even where no specific payment was linked to a specific service. The assessment was reduced by roughly NIS 13.5 million to account for amounts shown to have been transferred to associations, received as personal-occasion gifts, or spent on overseas fundraising travel; about NIS 11.5 million was established to have actually reached charitable associations.[10]

The tax judgment led to significant personal financial strain. In August 2024, Ifargan and his wife, Rabbanit Ruhama Naomi Ifargan, were reported to carry debts of approximately NIS 41 million and sought court approval for a debt arrangement, proposing to pay roughly NIS 19.3 million — primarily to the Israel Tax Authority — within three months of approval.[11] A Beersheba court approved that arrangement on March 12, 2025; both the Tax Authority and the National Insurance Institute agreed to the terms, and the judge gave his approval.[12]

In 2013, police investigated alleged threats against Ifargan connected to the Netivot municipal election, in which Ifargan supported candidate Ayal Mesika while his rival Rabbi Yoram Abergil backed incumbent Yehiel Zohar. Police suspected crime boss Shalom Domrani of involvement, though Domrani's lawyer denied any threat, and an associate of Ifargan stated that the rabbi himself had not been personally threatened, though employees or campaign workers might have been. The reported matter involved remand extensions and competing accounts rather than a final verdict.[5]

A 2010 Jerusalem Post report described a separate police investigation into suspicions that a woman had been paid to lure Ifargan into an embarrassing encounter. Police declined to comment, and the report did not establish that any offer or plan had in fact occurred.[13] Followers also circulated a story from the 1990s that Ifargan had assisted police in solving the murder of teenager Hanit Kikos and locating her burial place; this was presented in reporting as a story spread by followers rather than a verified account of his participation in the investigation.[2]