Ovadia Yosef (Hebrew: עובדיה יוסף, romanized: Ovadya Yosef, Arabic: عبد الله يوسف, romanized: ‘Abd Allāh Yūsuf; September 24, 1920 – October 7, 2013) also known as Maran (Hebrew: מרן) "Our Master", was an Iraqi-born Talmudic scholar, hakham, posek, and the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel from 1973 to 1983. Also known as Gadol Yisrael "great one of Israel". He is highly regarded as one of the most influential Sephardic religious authorities of all time. He is also a founder and long-time spiritual leader of Israel's religious Shas party. Yosef's responsa were highly regarded within Haredi circles, particularly among Mizrahi communities, among whom he was regarded as "the most important living halakhic authority". Source: Wikipedia (en)