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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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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 and Adult Jewish Learning. In this capacity, Rav Sam is responsible for oversight and direction of Isralight’s leadership training initiatives, including our year- long teaching internship at Orayta, professional enrichment conferences for rabbis and educators, and adult Jewish learning in the Jerusalem area. 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. Rabbi and Rebetzin Shor reside 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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Rav Yonatan Udren, originally from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, received his rabbinical ordination from Yeshivat Hamivtar, and has an MA in English Creative Writing from Bar Ilan University. He further strengthened his learning as a participant in the Isralight Educators Fellowship in 2010.
Rav Yonatan has taught many topics in Judaism in formal and informal settings in the Jerusalem area, as well as Jewish creative writing workshops through Bar Ilan University and the OU Israel Center. He has a special appreciation for the teachings of the Maharal and Chassidut, as well as Midrash and Gemara.
In addition to his teaching at Orayta, Rav Yonatan is also the co-director of the RRG Hillel Beit Midrash Program at Hebrew University, where he runs informal educational programming for North American overseas students.
Rav Yonatan lives in Maale Adumim with his wife Dena and their three children.
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Rav Shimon Felix is a well-known educator, who has worked in a wide variety of educational and communal frameworks, in Israel - where he lives, since making aliyah in the early 1970's from New York - North America, and Great Britain. These include Yeshivat Hamivtar, where he taught Talmud, Jewish Thought, and Bible and Commentaries, as well as serving as Educational Director, Michlelet Bruria, Yakar in London and Jerusalem, Isralight, the Web Yeshiva, and the Israeli school system. He was the director of the Jewish Agency's Bureau for Cultural Services for Diaspora Communities, and Executive Director of the Bronfman Youth Fellowships in Israel. He has also served as assistant to Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, the Chief Rabbi of Great Britain. Rabbi Felix lives in Jerusalem with his wife, Dr. Iris Felix, children, and grandchildren.
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After spending two years studying in Eretz Yisrael, Dovid'l attended Yeshiva University from 2003-2006 where he Majored in Tanach and Minored in Psychology. In 2007 he continued his studies, joining the RIETS Kollel and Azrieli Graduate School of Education. In the summer of 2008, Dovid'l received Semicha from Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg Shlit"a of Jerusalem, Israel. Before making aliyah in 2012, he spent four years teaching Gemara, Chassidus, Tanach and Halacha at DRS High School for Boys and SKA High School for girls in Woodmere, NY. Dovid'l is also the Rosh Kollel of Camp Hasc's Kollel Toras Chesed, is a the co-founder of The Mishna Project, an educational tool which aids the memorization of mishnayos through music, and plays guitar for the band Omek Hadavar. He lives in Yerushalaim with his wife, Rina, and their daughter, Noa Ayelet.
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Originally from Miami Beach, Florida, Benjy and his family made aliyah in the Summer of 2010 from NY to Jerusalem. Benjy earned his master's degree in developmental psychology from Columbia University Teachers College and his doctorate in Clinical/School Psychology from Hofstra University, along with Rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University. Before his aliyah, he served as a Sgan Mashgiach and Post Doctoral intern for Yeshiva University. He is a licensed psychologist in both Israel andNew York. During the summer he serves as the Staff Psychologist at Camp Hasc.
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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 has a BA in English Literature from YU, an MA in Medieval Jewish History from Revel, and smicha from RIETS.
Rabbi Blau lives in Alon Shevut with his wife and four children.
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Sruli is the Av Bayit at Orayta. His role here at Orayta is to be responsible for the welfare of the students specifically when is comes to Dorm life. Sruli is always available to the students for any and all of their needs. He has just finished the Hesder Program at Yeshiva Otniel. Sruli completed his army service is the Givati Brigade, where he served in the Shomrom area. Sruli has had leadership responsibilites both in Moshava over the summer and NCSY during the year. Sruli came to Israel his Shana Alef and stayed since. He and his wife live in Jerusalem and their home is open to all.
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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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