Nissim Mordechai Ze'ev (; born 9 September 1951) is an Israeli politician. One of the founders of Shas, he served as Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem between 1983 and 1998, and as a member of Knesset from 1999 until 2015. Biography Ze'ev was born and resides in Jerusalem. He is married, and has a large family. He is a graduate of Porat Yosef Yeshiva, and was ordained to the Rabbinate. He has served as a Rabbi, Shochet, Mohel, and Chazzan in Israel and abroad. He began his Torah activities in his youth when, in 1968, he established Torah youth clubs named "Irgun Yeladim Lomdei Torah" (Association of Children Who Study Torah). They were established in memory of the IDF soldiers who died when the INS Eilat was lost in 1967. Hundreds of students participated in this club in the afternoon studying "Ta'amei Hamikra" (Torah incantations), Psalms, Jewish Law, and Jewish Legend. In 1971, Ze'ev served as a rabbi and shochet in the Ein HaEmek moshav. Three years later, he was sent abroad as a shochet and inspector on behalf of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. He would ultimately spend five years away from Israel, going to Mexico City in 1977, to help establish the Aram Tzova Kollel, then to the "Sephardic Jewish Center" in Brooklyn, New York, where he served as rabbi and chazzan. In 1979, he returned to Israel to establish the "Nevat Israel" Institutes for Sephardic Jewish girls - ranging from kindergarten, to elementary schools, to high schools, and to a teaching seminary to train teachers and kindergarten teachers. Political career In the summer of 1983, he established a non-profit organization called the "Sephardic Association of Torah Observers", and served as its chairman. In addition to educational, cultural, and charitable activities, the association was involved in the selection of representatives to appear as a political list for the elections for local municipalities and the Knesset. The first meeting of the association convened shortly thereafter in the Yesodei Torah Yeshiva in Jerusalem. Participants included the president of the Torah Elders Council, Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, as well as Rabbi Shalom Cohen, Rabbi Yehuda Tzadka (Head of the Porat Yoseph Yeshiva), and Rabbi Shabtai Aton. With their blessings, the Shas party ran for the first time for the local elections in Jerusalem, with Ze'ev at its head, and succeeded in winning three seats. Between 1983 and 1998, Ze'ev served as deputy