BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

Roshei Yeshiva
(alphabetically)

Rabbi Meir Goldwicht
Rabbi Goldwicht, a prominent Israeli scholar, educator, and a Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva University's Mazer School of Talmudic Studies, serves as the "key intellectual resource" of the new Stone Beit Medrash Program.

Rabbi Goldwicht joined YU in 1989 as a Rosh Yeshiva at Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) and the Mazer Yeshiva Program. He received semicha from the renowned rabbinic authority Rabbi Zalman Nehemia Goldberg in 1980, has been a Ram at Yeshiva Kerem B'Yavneh, and has lectured extensively at Stern College, Columbia University, Manhattan's Upper West Side and in Israel.

Rabbi Michael Rosensweig
Rabbi Rosensweig occupies the Nathan and Perel Schupf Chair in Talmud at RIETS. He is a 1980 graduate of Yeshiva College, and earned an M.A. and a Ph.D. from the Bernard Revel Graduate School. After receiving semicha from RIETS, Rabbi Rosensweig was among the first group to complete the intensive post-graduate studies in RIETS' Caroline and Joseph S. Gruss Kollel Elyon.

Rabbi Rosensweig was appointed a Rosh Yeshiva, a member of the RIETS faculty, in 1985. He has written extensively, contributing to numerous journals of Torah learning.

Rabbi Hershel Schachter
Rabbi Schachter, a noted Talmudic scholar, has had a distinguished career with RIETS for more than 30 years. He joined the faculty in 1967, at the age of 26, the youngest Rosh Yeshiva at RIETS. Since 1971, Rabbi Schachter has been Rosh Kollel in RIETS' Marcos and Adina Katz Kollel (Institute for Advanced Research in Rabbinics) and also holds the institution's Nathan and Vivian Fink Distinguished Professorial Chair in Talmud.

In addition to his teaching duties, Rabbi Schachter lectures, writes, and serves as a world renowned decisor of Jewish Law. A prolific author, he has written more than 70 articles, in Hebrew and English, for such scholarly publications as HaPardes, Hadarom, Beth Yitzchak, and Or Hamizrach. Seforim written include Eretz HaTzvi, B'ikvei HaTzon and Nefesh HaRav.

At age 22, Rabbi Schachter was appointed assistant to the renowned Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zt"l. Rabbi Schachter earned his B.A. from Yeshiva College, an M.A. in Hebrew Literature from the Bernard Revel Graduate School in 1967, and was ordained that same year.

Rabbi Mayer Twersky
Rabbi Twersky is a scion of the Soloveitchik rabbinic family. Rabbi Twersky, ordained by RIETS, received his undergraduate degree from Harvard and was named a Rosh Yeshiva at RIETS in 1987, after teaching advanced Talmud at The Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy. He was appointed to the Leib Merkin Chair in Talmud in 1994.

Rabbi Mordechai I. Willig
Rabbi Willig, is the Rabbi Dr. Sol Roth Professor of Talmud and Contemporary Halachah at YU's RIETS program. He has been a Rosh Yeshiva at the Mazer School of Talmudic Studies since 1973 and a Rosh Kollel at RIETS.

Rabbi Willig received a B.A. in mathematics from Yeshiva College in 1968 and an M.S. in Jewish History in 1971 from the Bernard Revel Graduate School. He received semicha that same year. He has served as spiritual leader of Young Israel of Riverdale in the Bronx, NY, since 1974, and has written a sefer, Am Mordechai, and many articles in Torah scholarship journals.

Faculty
(alphabetically)

Rabbi Ari Berman
Rabbi Berman is a Talmud instructor at Yeshiva University's Irving I. Stone Beit Midrash Program. Rabbi Berman, currently a Fellow of the Caroline and Joseph S. Gruss Kollel Elyon of Yeshiva University, is also the assistant rabbi at The Jewish Center in New York City. A magna cum laude graduate of Yeshiva College, Rabbi Berman earned a master's degree in Jewish Philosophy from Yeshiva University's Bernard Revel Graduate School and semicha from RIETS.

Rabbi Tzvi Flaum
Rabbi Flaum has served as the Rabbi of Congregation Kneseth Israel in Far Rockaway, NY, since 1995. Rabbi Flaum received semicha from RIETS, an M.A. in Jewish History from the Bernard Revel Graduate School in 1974, and Yadin Yadin Semicha from RIETS in 1986. He is a member of the Medical Ethics Commission of the Rabbinical Council of America, Chairman of the Vaad Harabbanim of Far Rockaway and Lawrence, NY, and a member of the Board of Governors of the Association of Orthodox Jewish Scientists.

Mrs. Debbie Greenblatt
Mrs. Greenblatt, a teacher for over 20 years, has devoted the last 12 years to educating women. Mrs. Greenblatt received her B.A. from Queens College in Judaic Studies and Comparative Literature and a teaching certificate from Yeshiva University's Teachers Institute for Women. Mrs. Greenblatt has conducted classes for many organizations and lectures extensively.

Rabbi David Hirsch
Rabbi Hirsch is a Talmud instructor at Yeshiva University's Irving I. Stone Beit Midrash Program. Rabbi Hirsch received his B.A. in computer science from Yeshiva College in 1990 and his M.A. in Jewish Education from the Azrieli Graduate School. He earned his rabbinical ordination at RIETS in 1993 and was a Fellow of the Gruss Kollel Elyon, 1994-1996. Rabbi Hirsch previously taught Talmud at Isaac Breuer College and is also currently the rabbi at the Fleetwood Synagogue in Mt. Vernon, NY.

Mrs. Sally Mayer
Mrs. Mayer has an M.A. in Jewish History from the Bernard Revel Graduate School and is an alumna of Stern College and Drisha's Scholar's Circle. She teaches Talmud at Ma'ayanot Yeshiva High School in Teaneck, New Jersey.

Rabbi Etan Orlian
Rabbi Orlian is an alumnus of Yeshiva Kerem B'Yavneh and RIETS. He has lectured in numerous communities and taught in Camp Morasha and at Yeshiva of Flatbush High School. Rabbi Orlian is completing an M.A. at the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies.

Rabbi David Pahmer
Rabbi Pahmer is currently an Instructor of Jewish Studies at Stern College for Women of Yeshiva University; and Shoel Umaishiv, Segan Mashgiach, and Mentoring Program Director at Mazer Yeshiva Program of Yeshiva University. Rabbi Pahmer has been a rebbe for nearly ten years having taught in Dov Revel Yeshiva of Forest Hills and Bat Torah Academy of Suffern. Rabbi Pahmer received his B.A. from Yeshiva University majoring in Physics, Computers/Mathematics, an M.S. in Secondary Education from Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education, and semicha from RIETS.

Mrs. Chaya Rapp
Mrs. Rapp received her teacher's certification from Beth Jacob Seminary of Jerusalem, a B.A. and M.A. from Columbia University, and is currently completing her Ph.D. in Theoretical Chemistry at Columbia.

Prof. Smadar Rosensweig
Professor Rosensweig received her B.A. from Barnard College, and M.A. and M.Phil from Columbia University where she is currently a doctoral candidate. She is a Professor of Judaic Studies and History at Touro College and lectures extensively throughout the country.

Rabbi Moshe Schapiro
Rabbi Schapiro received a B.A. in History from Yeshiva College, an M.S. in Jewish Education from Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education, and semicha from RIETS. Rabbi Schapiro served as Rabbinic Intern at Stern College for Women and the Young Israel of Jamaica Estates, and taught for two years at Bat Torah Academy, a girls high school in Suffern, NY.

Rabbi Zvi Sobolofsky
Rabbi Sobolofsky, who studied at Yeshiva Kerem B'Yavneh, has semicha from RIETS, is an alumnus of RIETS's Gruss Kollel Elyon, and has an M.A. in Jewish Education from the Azrieli Graduate School. He teaches Talmud, Halachah, and Jewish Thought at Yeshiva University.

Mrs. Marcy Stern
Mrs. Stern attended Michlalah Torah College for Women in Jerusalem, received her B.A. in English Literature from Hebrew University, and an M.A. in School Administration from YU's Azrieli Graduate School. She was affiliated with Shevach High School, and is currently Assistant Principal at Bruriah in Elizabeth, NJ. Mrs. Stern lectures widely and teaches Navi and Chumash.

Torah Seminars for Women