Born 20 Cheshvanה'תרנ"ו others say 1898 תרנ"ח in Chaleb Syria. He moved with his parents to Yerushalayim, and was orphaned at a young age. During the Israeli war for independence he returned to Syria where he married his wife Simchah (Allegra) in 1920 and in 1922 he moved to Mexico City where he headed the Syrian kehilah Rodfei Tzedek. In 1936 he returned to Jerusalem citing his children's chinuch as his main reason for the move. In 1967 he established Yeshivas haChaim veHaShlom for the study of Kabbalah. His yeshivah published the most authoritative texts in Kitvei haArizal during its time. Rav Mordechai passed away on 14 Tammuz,ה'תשל"ח , and was laid to rest on Har haZeisim. His son and successor Eliyahu served as Rosh Yeshivah and after his passing the grandson and namesake Rav Mordechai Atiya Shlita succeeded his father and he currently serves as the Rosh Yeshivah.
