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Orayta Faculty & Staff
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Rabbi David Aaron has lectured in many diverse and prestigious Israeli and North American venues including Yeshivat Shaarei Mevasseret Zion, Yeshivat Darchei Noam, the Amiel Center for Jewish Leadership in the Diaspora, Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, and the Everett Institute at the 92nd St. Y.
Rabbi Aaron, who founded Isralight in 1986, is a visionary educator and author. His books which have been published by major publishing houses including Random House and Putnam have reached more than 200,000 people worldwide. He has taught thousands of students and reached millions through appearances on programs including Larry King Live and E! Entertainment.
Rabbi Aaron received Semicha from the Israel Torah Research Institute, Yeshivat Itri, and is a disciple of the distinguished Dayan Rav Shlomo Fischer, Shlita. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife, Chana, and their seven children.
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Rabbi Binny Freedman is a highly engaging and inspirational educator who has a gift for synthesizing difficult, sophisticated material in a way that inspires both the novice and the scholar. His proficiency in applying classic Jewish concepts to contemporary life in a personal and meaningful way has made him a sought after speaker throughout North America and around the world.
Rav Binny received his Rabbinic Ordination from the Chief Rabbinate of the State of Israel while studying at Yeshivat Har Etzion under the tutelage of Rav Aharon Lichtenstein, and pursued his BA and MA studies in Education at the Herzog Teacher’s College in Israel.
As Director of Isralight, whose curriculum, on-line educational programs, Leadership training division, Rabbinic Enrichment Fellowships, and ongoing Isralight seminars in the US, Canada, South Africa and Israel have reached thousands of students world-wide, Rav Binny is dedicated to Isralight's mission to inspire a renaissance in Jewish living for Jews of all backgrounds, across the world. His weekly Torah thoughts of on Judaism and spirituality reach tens of thousands of readers worldwide.
Rav Binny has lectured at a wide variety of Yeshivot in Israel including Har Etzion, Hamivtar, Mevasseret and Midreshet Lindenbaum as well as at prestigious Universities including Princeton University, Columbia University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of the Witswatersrand in South Africa, Yeshiva University and Hebrew University, teaching Talmud, Jewish Philosophy, Jewish History and Biblical Exegesis. He has been a Scholar in Residence in more than 100 synagogues and communities worldwide and has been the featured speaker at Jewish community organizations such as the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Boston, Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education, UJC Stand for Israel, the Coalition for Missing Israeli soldiers, the Jewish Renaissance Center, Birthright Israel programs, Project Otzma, Chai Lifeline, and UJA Federation.
Rav Binny, an IDF Company Commander who survived the S'barro's suicide bombing in Jerusalem, is considered an expert in his field and has been interviewed by CNN, MSNBC, and WCBS.
Rav Binny lives with his wife, Doreet and their four children in Efrat, just South of Jerusalem.
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Starting an Educational program is nothing new for Rav Moish. In 1994 he was a Co- Founder of the first Zionist Outreach Study Center of its kind in the world in South Africa, the Yeshiva of Cape Town. This model has now been replicated at more than 20 different centers worldwide. Although originally from NY, Rav Moish has lived, studied and taught in many different countries on four different continents.
Rav Moish has also served as the Campus Rabbi at the University of Cape Town, Rabbi of the Constantia Hebrew Congregation, Director of the Yeshiva of Cape Town and Member of the Executive Council of the Western Province (South Africa) Rabbinical Association. Rav Moish served in the IDF, in 1992-1993, as part of the Machal Hesder program through his Yeshiva, Yeshivat Har Etzion; the Gush. He is also a combat veteran of the Second Lebanon War.
Rav Moish lives with his wife Gilah and their six children in Beit Shemesh, west of Jerusalem.
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Rabbi Noam Himelstein is an accomplished educator with many years of teaching experience in a variety of yeshiva settings. Among the topics that he has taught are Tanach (Bible studies), Halacha (Jewish Law) and Jewish Philosophy.
Rabbi Himelstein served as the Rosh Kollel of the Torah Mitzion Kollel program in Melbourne, Australia as well as being a senior educator at Orot College for Women overseas program.
Rabbi Himelstein received his teacher’s degree from the Herzog Teacher’s College in Israel, a Bachelors of Education from Michlelet Lipshitz in Jerusalem and his M.A. from Machon Lander College in Jerusalem.
Rabbi Himelstein served in the IDF in the Armored Corps and lives in Gush Etzion with his wife and six children.
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Rabbi Sam Shor leads our Chumash track, guiding students as they begin to discover the relevant messages of Sefer Breisheet. Rav Sam also teaches two popular courses - Seasons of the Soul - exploring the many holidays of the Jewish calendar; as well as Modern Torah Masters- a survey of the writings and thought of many of the great sages of the twentieth century.
Prior to his aliya, “Rabbi Sam” was a popular teacher in the New York Metropolitan area, and has been invited to communities across the country as Scholar-in -Residence. Introducing students to many of the inspirational works of Jewish ethics, morality and spirituality, Rabbi Sam’s talent lies in allowing Jewish adults of all backgrounds to access and explore a wide variety of our sacred texts.
In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Rabbi Shor serves as Isralight’s Director of Leadership Development. In this capacity, Rav Sam is responsible for oversight and direction of Isralight’s leadership training initiatives, including our year- long Orayta Rabbinic Fellowship, summer internships for rabbinical students and professional enrichment conferences for rabbis and educators. He maintains a critical role in counseling and mentoring both emerging rabbis and countless Isralight alumni worldwide.
Rav Sam was born and raised in the tight-knit Jewish community of Albany, NY and in June of 2009, made aliya together with his wife Henny. Rav Sam resides with his wife Henny in the heart of Jerusalem’s Katamon neighborhood. Rabbi Shor studied at several of Jerusalem’s elite Torah academies and Yeshiva University, and received Semicha Yoreh Yoreh, Orthodox Rabbinical Ordination, from Kollel Agudath Achim in Brooklyn, NY.
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Rav David Silverstein received his rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University as well as a Masters Degree in Talmud from the Bernard Revel Graduate School. Upon receiving his Semicha, Rav David served as the Assistant Rabbi at the Riverdale Jewish Center as well as a member of the Judaic Studies faculty at SAR High School. In addition, he has taught Gemara and Tanach at the Yeshiva University High School for boys.
Upon making Aliyah two years ago, Rav David assumed the role of Director of the Overseas Program at Yeshivat Hesder Petach Tikva. In addition to directing the program, Rav David served as a Ra"m to both Israeli and Overseas first year students. Currently a resident of Modiin, Rav David is married and has three children.
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Rav Yair Eisenstock received his rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Hamivtar as well as a B.Ed. and is finishing his M.Ed. Degree in Talmud and Tanach from the Hertzog College. Rav Yair is also a Sofer Stam.
Upon receiving his Semicha, Rav Yair taught for three years in an Israeli high-school Orot – Yehuda , as a Gemara Rebbe of 11th grade. For the past few summers, Rav Yair has been the Rav machal in Camp Moshava.
Rav Yair assumed the role of Director of the Overseas Program at Yeshivat Hesder Otniel. In addition to directing the program, Rav Yair served as a Ra"m to both Israeli and Overseas first year students, teaching Gemara , Tanach and Chasidut in the yeshiva.
Rav Yair served in the IDF in the Infantry Corps .
Currently a resident of Yerushalim, Rav Yair is married to his wife Tanya , and father of Ohr-Eitan.
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Rabbi HaLevy teaches classes on various topics such as Tanach, Mishnah, Talmud, Halacha, Mussar, and lectures dealing with a wide range of contemporary issues in Judaism
Rabbi Yonatan HaLevy, studied at the Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore, MD for 5 years, before pursuing his Rabbinical Ordination at the Sheheber Sephardic Center in Jerusalem, studying under Rabbi Yakov Peretz.
Rabbi HaLevy recieved his Rabbinical Ordination from Rabbi Shlomo Kassin, in Jerusalem, and after founding the Jerusalem Rabbinical Academy, serves as its Mashgiach Ruchani – Dean of Students. Rabbi Halevy also serves as Isralight's Coordinator of Alumni Affairs and Rabbinic Education.
Rav Yonatan lives in the Old City.
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Rav Josh is the Av Bayit here at Yeshivat Orayta. Rav Josh is responsible for the welfare of the student body both inside and out of the classroom. Rav Josh received his Rabbinical Ordination from Rabbi Shlomo Kassin of the Midrash Sefardi of Jerusalem in 2010. Rav Josh has also completed the year long Isralight Leadership Training Institute program and is currently finishing his B.A. in Psychology from Touro College Israel. In addition, Rav Josh also teaches classes at the Yeshiva. Rav Josh lives in the Old City with his wife and his house is always open to the students to stop by and be in a “home away from home”.
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Rabbi Yitzchak Blau is the author of Fresh Fruit and Vintage Wine: The Ethics and Wisdom of the Aggada and a member of Tradition's editorial board. He has taught at Yeshivat Hamivtar, Yeshivat Shvilei Hatorah, and the Yeshivah of Flatbush and currently also teaches at Midreshet Lindenbaum and for the WebYeshiva. Rabbi Blau lives in Alon Shevut with his wife and four children.
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Scott comes to Orayta with a vast knowledge of administration in educational institutions in Israel and America.
Scott has a B.A. from Yeshiva University in economics. Scott worked in Yeshiva University as a recruiter before making aliyah. Upon arrival in Israel Scott has helped set up and manage Yeshivat Sha’arei Mevaseret Zion for over 13 years. After which Scott was the director of the Yeshiva University Israel office until he came to set up Orayta.
Scott lives with his wife and 4 children in Efrat.
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