Rabbi Yeshoua Kemelman was born in Jerusalem in 1919. His family originated from Lithuania. Rabbi Kemelman married Zehava Bornstein in Israel in 1947. She was born in Austrowitz and raised in Warsaw, Poland. She later lived in Bnei Brak. He graduated from the Eitz Chayim (Tree of Life) Yeshiva in Jerusalem, under the leadership of Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer and Rabbi Kook. He then studied at Yeshivat Chevron and Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav.

 

He was a highly diligent student and graduated with 9 Semichot. After his graduation from the Yeshiva, he served as Secretary of the Mizrachi Organization and director of Mifal Hatorah (Central Torah Foundation for the Yeshivot of the Holy Land) in Haifa. Rabbi Kemelman was sent to South Africa by Rabbi Berlin (Bar Ilan University is named after him) to bring Jews back to yiddishkeit. 

 

He was also a highly regarded scholar in secular studies. In South Africa, he earned his BA and MA through UNISA. He later earned a Doctorate in Literature (D. Litt) from Yeshiva New York University and Columbia University. Additionally, he completed a PhD in philosophy at the University of Cape Town (UCT). 

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In 1949, they moved to South Africa. Rabbi Kemelman first served the Vryburg community and then Potchefstroom. After his posting in Potchefstroom, he earned his PhD in the USA and then returned to South Africa to serve as the East London Rabbi. He later moved to Johannesburg, where he served as the Principal Rabbi of the Synagogues Youth Organization of the Federation of Synagogues of South Africa.

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​He migrated from South Africa to Sydney, Australia, where he served as the Rabbi of the Sydney Central Synagogue. Later, he became the Head of the Beth Din of Australia and New Zealand. After leaving the Rabbinate, he became a highly successful property developer while continuing to serve as the head of the Sydney Beth Din.

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Rabbi Kemmelman played a key role in building the local mikva in Vryburg, which served the local Jewish children. He was blessed with a remarkable singing voice and established a popular choir.

In his memoir, Seymour Hoffman noted:

 

I became very close to Rabbi Kemelman and his wife Zahava whom I delivered of a beautiful baby girl called Israela. The Rabbi, who came from Jerusalem was an intellectual and had a magnificent singing voice. Our closeness was the source of a great feeling of "belonging". We had a small "Shul" and I tried to participate on "Erev Shabbat" and at social events. The lectures held at "Shul" were on subjects of interest to us as Jews.

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Rabbi Kemelman pursued studies in music at the Jerusalem Institute of Music for seven years before moving to South Africa, where he also engaged in composition. He continues to play his grand piano. Additionally, Rabbi Kemelman has authored numerous books, articles, and monographs on Jewish law and life, including one titled "Diaspora is Jewry's Graveyard."

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In 1990 this remarkable Rabbi, scholar and musician made Aliyah to Jerusalem. They had three children, Yisraela (born in Vryburg), Smadar and Yehuda. In 2020 he passed away.