Leadership Training

New Orleans Mitzvah Mission 2008

"Healing a Broken Community"

Over the past several years many valued friendships and partnerships have developed through the networking, learning and conferences offered to rabbis through Isralight's Leadership Training Institute and our Avraham HaLevi Isralight Rabbinic Enrichment Fellowship. Among those many special young rabbis who have come to make up our extended family are Rabbis Uri Topolosky of Congregation Beth Israel in New Orleans , LA and Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider of the Mt. Kisco (NY) Hebrew Congregation.

Rav Uri and his wife Dr. Dahlia Topolosky, have been part of our Isralight global community for many years- staffing Israel trips, retreats and leading kumsitzes and classes. Following several years as part of the team of clergy at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale,  Rav Uri and Rebbetzin Dahlia together with their two young sons, relocated this past year to assist in the rebuilding of the hurricane ravaged and largely displaced Jewish community in New Orleans .

Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider will be bringing a contigent from our partner synagogue the Mt. Kisco Hebrew Congregation to visit New Orleans this coming weekend. The group plans to arrive in New Orleans on Thursday evening March 27 th . Friday will be spent volunteering in rebuilding efforts, as well as participating in a group visit together with Rav Uri to the destroyed Beth Israel Synagogue building, once the largest Orthodox synagogue in New Orleans .

Shabbat will be celebrated with Rav Uri and Rebbetzin Dahlia and their congregation in their temporary location,  followed by a musical havdala with Rav Uri. On Sunday the group will complete its Mitzvah Mission with a tour the 9th Ward and see first hand the scope of the destruction.

Isralight would like to wish Rav Uri and Rebbetzin Dahlia much success in their incredible and holy work, and salute Rabbi Goldscheider and his group for participating in this great act of solidarity and kindness.

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Leadership Training Institute Update

Rabbi David Aaron in South Africa!

Rabbi David Aaron, Founder and Dean of Isralight and renowned author and educator, has been invited to South Africa by the King David Schools and Yeshiva College of Johannesburg. King David is by far and away the largest Jewish Day School in South Africa and Yeshiva College is the first and largest Yeshiva Day School in South Africa. Our friend, Rabbi Craig Kacev, a 2006 alumnus of the Avraham HaLevi Isralight Rabbinic Enrichment Fellowship serves as the Director of the SABJE, South African Board of Jewish Education and is the head of the King David School System.

Throughout his visit from February 12-18, Rabbi Aaron will present seminars to teachers in the Pre-Primary, Primary, Junior High School and High School levels and will also be offering several classes to high school students throughout the week. Additionally Rabbi Aaron will offer training to the staff of the DIJE, the Division of Informal Jewish Education who run programs for the South African Board of Jewish Education.

Rabbi Ramon Widmonte , a 2007 alumnus of the Avraham HaLevi Isralight Rabbinic Enrichment Fellowship, who supervises all leadership training and programming for Bnei Akiva in South Africa , has also invited Rabbi Aaron to present several sessions for the staff and advisors of Bnei Akiva during the week as well.

Joining Rabbi Aaron will be Rabbi Moshe Kornblum. Rav Moish , the Dean of Students for Orayta at Isralight, served for several years as a rabbi in South Africa prior to his aliya. Orayta , a year-long Israel program to be held at Isralight's stunning Old City campus, will launch it's first class beginning this coming September. Visit www.orayta.org to learn more about this exciting development at Isralight.

For more information regarding Isralight's seminars for educators, and additional leadership training programs, contact Rabbi Sam Shor, Director of Isralight's Leadership Training Institute (LTI) via email sam@isralight.org . For more information regarding Orayta, contact Rabbi Moshe Kornblum, Orayta's Dean of Students via email ravmoish@orayta.org .

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Isralight's Leadership Training Institute

Annual Winter Retreat Participants

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Shedding Light on the Days of Awe

  A Journal of Torah Thoughts Featuring

  Members of the Avraham HaLevi Isralight Enrichment Fellowship

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Isralight's Third Annual Avraham Halevi Jerusalem

Rabbinic Enrichment Conference

July 9th- 16th 2007  

(click here for more photos)

A key element of the year- long Avraham Halevi Isralight Rabbinic Enrichment Fellowship, the summer program in Jerusalem, once again brought together a select group of young rabbis from across the US, South Africa and Israel to participate in a series of training initiatives and professional enrichment , under the direction of Rabbi Sam Shor, Isralight's Director of Community and Leadership Development.

Rabbi David Aaron, Isralight's Dean and Founder, and Rav Binny Freedman, Isralight's Director have developed a unique curriculum to address and clarify many of the fundamental, challenging, and often confusing issues of Jewish belief. The Avraham Halevi Jerusalem Rabbinic Enrichment Conference provides its participants with innovative and effective ways to communicate these ideas in a compelling and inspiring manner. Fellows were introduced to many of the fundamental texts that form the basis of Isralight's educational philosophy and approach.

Highlights of the Jerusalem Summer Conference included:

• Think tank sessions to network and share ideas with colleagues

• Discussing solutions to many of the challenging issues that contemporary Jewish leaders must address

• Opportunities to study and explore many of the essential writings and teachings of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohain Kook zt'l, and Rabbi Yosef Dov HaLevi Soloveitchik zt'l

• Experiencing the unique Isralight story-walks and seminars in Jerusalem 's Old City , that have captured the imagination of thousands from all over the world.

This summer we brought together an outstanding group of participants representing both established as well as up-and-coming rabbinic talent from all facets of the rabbinate - pulpit, education, and communal leadership.

2007 Isralight Rabbinic Enrichment Fellows include:  

Rabbi Yonah Gross, Rabbi, Young Israel, Phoenix , AZ  

Rabbi Simcha Jacob, Educational Director, Center for Return, Queens College , NY  

Rabbi Shalom Morris, Assistant Rabbi, Lincoln Square Synagogue

Rabbi Adam Perlman, Bat Ayin, Israel, former instructor, Prozdor Hebrew High School of Hebrew College, Boston, MA  

Rabbi Yossi Pollak , Rabbi, Stanton Street Shul, NYC

Rabbi Ari Salomont, Director of Recruitment and Outreach, Mechinah and Basic Jewish Studies Program, Yeshiva University

Rabbi Saul Strosberg, Rabbi, Congregation Sherith Israel , Nashville , TN  

Rabbi Joshua Strulowitz, Rabbi, Congregation Adath Israel , San Francisco , CA 

Rabbi Shimmy Trencher, Dean of Students, Hebrew High School of New England, West Hartford, CT  

Rabbi Ramon Widmonte, Director of Bnai Akiva Shuls and Schools Program, Johannesberg , South Africa  

We had a wonderful week together in Jerusalem and look forward to the development of an on-going relationship and partnership with each of the participating rabbis, their institutions and communities.

To learn more about the Avraham Halevi Rabbinic Enrichment Fellowship please contact Rabbi Sam Shor via email at Sam@isralight.org or call 212 947 4911.

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Isralight Summer Rabbinic Internships 2007

June 18th - July 3rd , 2007

A special thank you to all the participants of Isralight's Summer Rabbinic Internships, held in Jerusalem from June 18th - July 3rd , 2007. The Isralight Rabbinic Internships offer a hand-picked group of rabbinical students an opportunity to study, explore, and hone their skills at the Isralight Institute in the Old City of Jerusalem. Room, board (including most meals), materials and ground transportation are fully subsidized for program participants.

Select interns may be offered continued internships and additional on-going field work at Isralight programs in North America.

The Isralight Summer Rabbinic Internships train future rabbinic leaders in innovative and effective ways to communicate in a compelling and inspiring manner. Additionally, it exposes participants to many of the fundamental texts that form the basis of Isralight's all-embracing educational philosophy and approach.

Program Highlights

• Interns engaged in guided think-tank sessions addressing challenging issues that contemporary Jewish leaders must face.
• Seminars enhanced skill in communication, oration, and informal counseling, honing participants' talents and abilities.  Participants had ample opportunities for practical hands-on informal hadracha (counseling and teaching) with Jewish adults from diverse backgrounds at the Isralight Institute program, and received constructive analysis and feedback.
• Interns explored many of the essential writings of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, and other giants of Jewish thought under the tutelage of Isralight teachers.
• Participants were provided with unique trips and tours in Israel , demonstrating the Jewish homeland's viability to be a vibrant classroom without walls .

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Second Annual Isralight NY Area Rabbinic Conference

The Fire to Inspire

Sunday, January 14 - Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Mt. Kisco, NY

"I just wanted to directly convey my thanks and gratitude for this conference as well as all of the other opportunities I have been fortunate to receive from you. I feel that it has made a difference in not only my life, but in the lives of the students who I come across."

-Rabbi Rafi Lipner, Toronto Canada

The Avraham HaLevi Isralight Rabbinic Enrichment Fellowship provides continuing education, mentoring and on-going resources to a select group of young rabbinic leadership.

A key aspect of the Avraham HaLevi Isralight Rabbinic Enrichment Fellowship is our professional conferences for Rabbis, held twice each year in Jerusalem and in New York .

We are pleased to announce our second annual NY area Rabbinic Conference, to be held in Mt. Kisco, NY on Sunday January 14th - Tuesday January 16th, 2007. This significantly subsidized professional enrichment opportunity for rabbis, will bring together a select group of rabbinic talent including the many alumni of Isralight's leadership training initiatives, and alumni of both the 2005 and 2006 Avraham HaLevi Isralight Rabbinic Enrichment Fellowships.

The theme for the conference is The Fire to inspire.

Conference participants will have opportunities to study important selections from the writings of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook and other important theologians, participate in  workshops and classes led by Rabbi David Aaron, and Rav Binny Freedman, and think tank sessions moderated by Rabbi Sam Shor . The entire conference will be graciously hosted by the Mt. Kisco Hebrew Congregation and their Spiritual Leader, Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider, an Isralight 2005 Rabbinic Enrichment Fellow.

For more information about the New York area Rabbinic Conference, or any of Isralight's training initiatives for rabbis and educators, contact Rabbi Sam Shor, Director of Community and Leadership Development at 212-947-4911 or e-mail sam@isralight.org .

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Isralight Rabbis to be Featured at

Yeshiva University Rabbinical School Retreat

January 10th, 2007

As part of a series of on-going consultations and seminars offered to Yeshiva University 's many departments, Rabbi David Aaron , Rav Binny and Rabbi Sam Shor have been invited to participate in the Inaugural Yeshiva University Rabbinical School Retreat to be held January 10th and 11th in Tenafly, NJ under the direction of  Rabbi Marc Penner-Director of Professional Education at YU's Center for the Jewish Future.

Rabbi Aaron and Rav Binny will be presenting multiple advanced textual classes to these promising rabbinical students. Additionally many prominent Yeshiva University faculty- including YU Roshei Yeshiva and Rabbi Kenneth Brander, Dean of the Center for the Jewish Future will be presenting. Rabbi Aaron will be part of a panel discussion along with Rabbi Brander and Rabbi Yakov Neuberger addressing the challenges of Contemporary Jewish Life. Rav Binny will close out the first evening program with his signature “Song and Stories on guitar.”

Participating students will also have the opportunity to apply and interview with Rabbi Sam Shor, for acceptance to our upcoming Summer Internships for rabbinical students in Jerusalem .

For more information about this or any of Isralight's Leadership training initiatives, conferences and internship opportunities feel free to contact Rabbi Sam Shor via email sam@isralight.org .

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Isralight's Second Annual

Jerusalem Rabbinic Enrichment Conference

Isralight's second annual Jerusalem Rabbinic Enrichment Conference took place

July 16th - 23rd, 2006. 

A key element of the year- long  Avraham Halevi Isralight Rabbinic Enrichment Fellowship, this summer program brought together a select group of young rabbis who were invited to participate in a series of training initiatives and professional enrichment , under the guidance of Rabbi Sam Shor, Isralight's Director of Community and Leadership Development.

Rabbi David Aaron, Isralight's Dean and Founder, and Rav Binny Freedman, Isralight's Director have developed a unique curriculum that addresses and clarifies many of the fundamental, challenging, and often confusing issues of Jewish Belief. The Jerusalem Rabbinic Enrichment Conference provided its participants with innovative and effective ways to communicate these ideas in a compelling and inspiring manner. It also exposed participants to many of the fundamental texts that form the basis of Isralight's educational philosophy and approach.

Highlights of the Jerusalem Summer Conference included:

•  Opportunities to study and explore many of the essential writings and teachings of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohain Kook zt'l, and Rabbi Yosef Dov HaLevi Soloveitchik zt'l.

•  Think tank sessions to network and share ideas with colleagues.

•  Discussing solutions to many of the challenging issues that contemporary Jewish leaders must address.

•  Experiencing the unique Isralight story-walks and seminars in Jerusalem 's Old City , that have captured the imagination of thousands from all over the world.

We are once again privileged to have had an outstanding group of participants representing both established as well as up-and-coming rabbinic talent from all aspects of the rabbinate- pulpit, education, and communal leadership.  

Isralight Rabbinic Enrichment Fellowship 2006 Participants

Rabbi Gur Berman, Faculty, Hillel Day School , Boca Raton, FL

Rabbi Steven Eisenberg, Faculty, Mechina program at Yeshiva Unversity, NY

Rabbi Shaanan Gelman, Rabbi of Kehilat Chovevei Zion , Skokie , IL

Rabbi Jonathan Gross, Rabbi, Congregation Beth Israel , Omaha, NE

Rabbi Benjy Horowitz, Faculty, Boca Raton Yeshiva High School, FL

Rabbi Craig Kacev, Director of South African Board of Jewish Education

Rabbi Elly Krimsky, Assistant Director of Professional Development and Placement for Yeshiva University RIETS, NY

Rabbi Aaron Levitt, Assistant Rabbi, Boca Raton Synagogue, FL

Rabbi Jonathan Muskat, Rabbi, Young Israel of Oceanside, NY

Rabbi Ari Rockoff, Director of Communal Initiatives, Yeshiva University Center for Jewish Future, NY

Rabbi Adam Starr, Rabbi, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, NY

Rabbi Chaim Strauchler, Rabbi, Beit Chaveirim Synagogue, Westport, CT

Rabbi Yosef Weinstock, Assistant Rabbi, Young Israel of Hollywood, FL

We look forward to a wonderful week together in Jerusalem and to the development of an on-going relationship and partnership with each of the participating rabbis, their institutions and communities.

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Torah Insights from Isralight's Rabbinic Enrichment Fellows

Bo 5767/2007 by Rabbi Moshe Rothchild

Vayakhel 5767/2006 by Rabbi Avi Heller

Ki Tisah 5766/2005 by Rabbi Ira Ebbin

Vayishlach 5766/2005 by Rabbi Elie Wienstock

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