Emes Ve-Emunah: Travel Day

Monday, October 07, 2019

Travel Day

I’m off to Israel for my annual Yom Kippur/Sukkos visit with my family in Ramat Bet Shemesh (Aleph). Looking forward to it. I will resume posting after Yom Kippur.

If you’re up early enough and in the neighborhood of Maasas Mordechai on Dolev, come on over and say hi. This is where I will be Davening Shachris K’Vosikin (Neitz) daily.

Gmar Chasima Tova to all!

My outlook on Judaism is based mostly on the teachings of my primary Rebbe, Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik from whom I received my rabbinic ordination. It is also based on a search for spiritual truth. Among the various sources that put me on the right path, two great philosophic works stand out: “Halakhic Man” and “Lonely Man of Faith” authored by the pre-eminent Jewish philosopher and theologian, Rabbi, Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Of great significance is Rabbi, Dr. Norman Lamm's conceptualization and models of Torah U’Mada and Dr. Eliezer Berkovits who introduced me to the world of philosophic thought. Among my early influences were two pioneers of American Elementary Torah Chinuch, Rabbis Shmuel Kaufman and Yaakov Levi. The Yeshivos I attended were Yeshivas Telshe for early high school and more significantly, the Hebrew Theological College where for a period of ten years, my Rebbeim included such great Rabbinic figures as Rabbis Mordechai Rogov, Shmaryahu Meltzer, Yaakov Perlow, Herzl Kaplan, and Selig Starr. I also attended Roosevelt University where I received my Bachelor's Degree - majoring in Psychology.