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Biography
Baruch Abuhatzeira (Hebrew: ברוך אבוחצירא; born 1941), also known as Baba Baruch, is an Israeli Kabbalist rabbi and spiritual adviser who operates in Netivot, a blue-collar town in southern Israel. He is the son of the leading Moroccan Sephardic rabbi Israel Abuhatzeira, also known as the Baba Sali.
Baruch was born in Arfoud in the Meknès-Tafilalet of the Maghreb region in eastern Morocco. There, he was educated by his father. During his youth Baruch spent several years in Paris. In the mid-1960s, Baruch emigrated to Israel with his father, and he decided to pursue a political career. He was elected deputy mayor in Ashkelon. Abuhatzeira was later tried and sentenced to a five years in prison for corruption and bribery connected to his role as deputy mayor. After obtaining an early release, Abuhatzeira joined Baba Sali, and was with his father during the last three months of the Rabbi's life.