Meet the Rebbeim
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Rabbi Nachy Brickman, founder & dean
Rabbi Brickman has worked in kiruv and chinuch for over 30 years. He learned in Kerem BeYavne and Yeshiva University, where he was a personal attendant of Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, received a degree in psychology, and eventually received semicha from Rav Zalman Nechemya Goldberg. Before moving to Eretz Yisroel, he held a variety of positions in NCSY, ran a kiruv camp in Russia, and taught for years in a Bi-Cultural school in Stamford, Connecticut. Rabbi Brickman, together with his wife and family, enjoys much nachas from the over 1300 Derech alumni who today are productive members of their communities in Eretz Yisroel, North America, and other parts of the world. |
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Rabbi Moshe Lazarus, founder & dean
Rabbi Lazerus is co-founder of Derech Institute, a member of the Ohr Somayach hanhala, and oversees the educational programs of the yeshiva. He is a graduate of Yeshiva Torah Vodaath in New York and Yeshiva University, and has administrated and taught in many yeshivot and seminaries in Jerusalem over the last 40 years. In the 1980's and 90's, he served as Director of Judaic Studies for CCIS, a consortium of American colleges and wrote course work for over 40 college classes. Rabbi Lazerus was a founder and the first Mayor of the Israeli settlement of Maalei Amos, receiving "shimush" from Hagaon Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, zt"l in Niddah, mikvaos and communal matters. He is one of the seven Tuvei Hair of Kiryat Sefer and Rav of the Yotzei Chevron Shul. He has also been Director of Ohr Lagolah for the last 20 years, which has trained and sent hundreds of rabbinic couples to the diaspora for positions in teaching on campus and as shul rabbis. |
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Rabbi Tzvi Wainstein, director of recruiting
Rabbi Wainstein, originally from South Africa, studied under Harav Yisroel Ze'ev Gustman z”l and Harav Moshe Shternbuch, Shlit"a, for many years, and has been an educator in Ner Yakov, Machon Lev, Darchei Binah, and is Rosh Kollel of Ohr Lagolah, whose students move on to rabbinic positions throughout the diaspora. He teaches a broad variety of subjects, has lectured worldwild, and has served as an editor for Artscroll Publishers. He’s considered a leading expert on finding the finest eating establishments in the world, advising students what to order, which cigars to smoke, and which single malts match which meals in most major cities in the world. He also enjoys Yoga and classical music (actually, he’s never tried Yoga). |
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Rabbi Mordechai Pitem, mashgiach
Born and bred in Brooklyn, Rabbi Pitem studied in both Ner Yisroel in Baltimore and the Mirrer Yeshiva in Brooklyn prior to his marriage. In 1988, he and his wife moved to Eretz Yisroel were he continued his learning in the Mir and in the Lakewood Yeshiva of Jerusalem. He joined the Ohr Somayach teaching staff in April of 1996 and subsequently moved to the Derech program in 1999, were he has been ever since. His loud personality and enthusiasm for learning has inspired and entertained countless students. Rabbi Pitem lives with his wife and children in Beit Shemesh. |
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Jonathan Speculand, administrator
Jonathan Speculand was born in Gateshead, UK, attending Gateshead Jewish Boarding School, Sunderland Yeshiva, and Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim in New York. He has been part of the Derech family since 2001. Jonathan is famous for his caring personality and his close connection to students. Our alumni look forward to his annual visits for the Derech Alumni events. |
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Rabbi Yaakov Altman
Rabbi Altman was born and raised in the NYC area. He attended University of Pennsylvania and then went to various Yeshivas and kollelim in Eretz Yisroel, including Medresh Shmuel and Lakewood East. He now lives with his wife and children in Yerushalayim, and teaches in Derech and a number of seminaries. |
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Rabbi Jacob Banin
Rabbi Banin grew up in London, England where he attended the Jewish Free School. He then came to Israel and studied in Tiferes Yerushalayim, Lev Aryeh and Lakewood East and has also taught in several yeshivas and institutions over the past several years. He has many years of outreach experience with people of all ages and in a variety of capacities, ranging from marriage counseling to managing substance abuse. Rabbi Banin brings genuine warmth and love to his students. Rabbi Banin lives across the street from the yeshiva in Jerusalem’s Arzei Habira neighborhood with his wife and children. |
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Rabbi Ari Bensoussan
Rabbi Ari Bensoussan grew up in Brooklyn, where he attended Yeshiva of Far Rockaway. He later studied in Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem and Beis Medrash Gavoah in Lakewood, NJ. After getting married, Rabbi Ari and his wife Naomi moved to Israel where he received semicha in Hilchot Niddah from the Rabbanut of Israel. While attending the Jerusalem Kollel his passion ignited to help klal Yisroel, which led Rabbi Ari to open Yeshivat Ruach Chaim for Sephardic post-High School students in Israel. Today Rabbi Bensoussan blends his wisdom and wit teaching in Derech, and his lectures enjoy a broad online audience around the world. |
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Rabbi Yossi Bensoussan
Rabbi Benssousan grew up in Brooklyn, NY, where he attended Yeshiva Tifferes Elimelech. He came to Israel and studied under Rav Usher Rubenstein ZT”L for five years and then another three years by Rav Yizchok Berkowitz where he received his semicha. He then worked as a counselor at a drug rehabilitation program in Tzfat before becoming a full time rebbe in Ohr Somayach. Rabbi Benssousan lives in the Maalot Dafna neighborhood of Jerusalem with his wife and children, and opens his home on a regular basis to Derech students. |
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Rabbi Menashe Bleiweiss
Rabbi Menashe Bleiweiss currently teaches Talmud, History, Halacha, and Hashkafa, is tour guide for Ohr Somayach’s Derech Yeshiva. He has served as director of Lander College’s Tour Guide Training Course, is a licensed guide throughout the land of Israel, and maintains a private therapy practice. In the past, he coordinated Ner LeElef’s Campus Kiruv Program, edited the quarterly Jewish Spectator, was a member of the Domestic Violence Division at Neve Yerushalayim’s Family Therapy Institute, was director of Yeshivas Hamivtar in Efrat, and was both a Jerusalem Fellow and a Wexner Graduate Fellow. He and his wife, both UC Berkeley graduates, made aliyah in 1994, and live in Telzstone with their five daughters and four sons. His website is: www.menashebleiweiss.com |
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Rabbi Moshe Borger
Rabbi Moshe Borger grew up in Stamford Hill of London, England. After graduating from Hasmonean High School, Moshe learned in Ohr Somayach, Medrash Shmuel and the Mir. After graduating from the Ohr Lagolah Semicha program, he went on to work for the JLE London as their liaison and Manager of Israel Activities, coordinating Israel Trips and providing support for students. Moshe has a Business Studies Bachelor with Honours Degree from the University of Westminster and is a Certified Therapist through the Family Institute in Yerushalayim. In the Derech night seder, he teaches a combination of Aggadata and Halacha Shiurim. He also coordinates the Shabbosos for the Yeshiva. He lives with his family two buildings away from the Yeshiva and is always available to help a student in need. |
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Rabbi Aaron Brody
Rabbi Brody lives in the Neve Yaakov neighborhood of Jerusalem after moving from Chicago with his wife and seven children, where he was a rebbe at Ida Crown Jewish Academy and the Rabbi of a congregation. When he moved to Israel, he was the founder and director of the Kesher program at Ohr Somayach and also of Yeshivat Netsach. Rabbi Brody brings with him over 25 years of experience in chinuch and rabonus. |
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Rabbi Shlomo Greenwald
Rabbi Shlomo Greenwald, from New Rochelle, N.Y., teaches Gemara to Shanna Bet and is the Mashgiach of our Shanna Bet program. After studying at Yeshiva University, Rabbi Greenwald continued his learning at the Mirrer Yeshiva in Yerushalayim, where he heard shiurim by the late Rosh Yeshiva, Harav Noson Tzvi Finkel zt"l and by the late Mashgiach, Harav Shlomo Volba zt"l. At the Mirrer Yeshiva he learned the art of building rebbe-talmid relationships, and makes sure to schedule individual meetings with students each week. He and his family live in Sanhedriah Hamurchevet, about a 20 minute walk from the Ohr Somayach campus. |
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Rabbi Yisroel Lieber
After growing up in Canada, Israel and the US, Rabbi Lieber came to Israel after high school to learn for two years, attended YU and later Ner Israel in Baltimore, where he developed a strong connection to his Rebbe, Harav Tzvi Berkowitz, Shlit”a. After spending a number of years learning and teaching in “out of town” kollels including Hamilton, ON, and Columbus, OH, Rabbi Lieber made aliyah in 2003 and taught in a variety of American post high school yeshivos, but has been primarily involved with Derech since his arrival. He resides in the Neve Yaacov neighborhood of Jerusalem. Rabbi Lieber focuses most of his time and energy on his family and on his Derech students, past and present. |
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Rabbi Avrohom Moshe Nussbaum
Rabbi Nussbaum is from Johannesburg, South Africa and studied in Gateshead Yeshiva in England, Toras Simcha and Ateres Yisroel in Jerusalem and Beis Medresh Gevoha in Lakewood. He is a graduate of the Ohr Lagolah program of Ohr Somayach. Rabbi Nussbaum has worked in a program called Somech Farm for young challenging teens as well as the Shoresh introductory program at Ohr Somayach before coming to Derech. He enjoys traveling, playing sports and the great outdoors. Rabbi Nussbaum lives in the Maalot Dafna neighborhood of Jerusalem with his wife and children. |
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Rabbi Yehoshua Poupko
Uncle Yushl was born and raised in South Philadelphia. He attended Yeshiva University where he earned a B.A., Masters and S'micha. Later he earned a Master's Degree in Educational Administration at the Graduate School of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, in Charleston. Since 1968, Uncle Yushl has been involved in Jewish education as a teacher and administrator. He was a principal and educator in New York, Peoria, Illinois and Ramat Bet Shemesh. For a decade he served in reserve duty in the Israeli Defense Forces. Uncle Yushl enjoys photography, classical music, and visiting the Galil and Golan Heights. His favorite secular literature is United States Constitutional Law. Uncle Yushl has been with Derech since its doors opened in August, 1998. |
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Rabbi Shua Rose
Originally from London, England, Rabbi Shua Rose studied at Yeshivas Mercaz Hatorah, Ner Israel Rabbinical College and most recently under Rabbi Yitzchak Berkowitz in the Jerusalem Kollel. He holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Maryland. Known for his energy and enthusiasm, Rabbi Rose was the Head Counselor of Camp Sdei Chemed International for many years, and now spends each summer in Baltimore, where he directs Project Build, a program for Jewish teenagers at-risk. Formerly a radio show host on Shalom FM in London, Rabbi Rose is a sought after Baal Tefillah and musician, whose soul stirring kumzitzes are an essential part of our yeshiva. Rabbi Rose resides with his wife and children in the Ramat Eshkol neighborhood of Jerusalem, minutes away from the yeshiva. |
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Rabbi Zev Rosen
Rabbi Rosen is originally from Toronto, Canada, and moved to Israel in 1991. After spending many years at Yeshivas Toras Moshe and other Kollelim, he became involved with the Derech program from the very beginning. He prides himself on being not just a teacher, but a friend to his students. Rabbi Rosen lives with his family within walking distance of Yeshiva and hosts students regularly. |
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Rabbi Shmuel Rosenberg
Rabbi Rosenberg was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. After high school, he came to Israel and learned in Yeshivas Mercaz HaTorah and the Mir Yeshiva. He is a graduate of the Ohr Lagolah program where he got his semicha from Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg. He is a certified Addictions and Substance Abuse Counselor and has worked as an addictions counselor in Yeshivas Netsach before coming to Ohr Somayach. Rabbi Rosenberg helps monitor each students personal progress and growth while ensuring that their needs are being met. Through his humor and warm personality, the students feel they can talk to him about anything. He recently revitalized Derech’s general management, drawing from his skills as an administrator, organizer, and professional graphic arts designer. He currently lives in the Ramat Eshkol neighborhood of Jerusalem with his wife and children. |
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Rabbi Leib Steier
R’ Leib Steier is an FFB - Frum From Brooklyn, specifically, East Flatbush. He currently lives in the Neve Yaakov neighborhood, renowned for the world-famous DERECH Neve Yaakov Shabbaton’. R’ Steier attended the Yeshiva & Mesivta of Eastern Parkway, the Beis Medrash under his Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Chaim Epstein ZT”L, in ‘Lakewood’ (Beth Medrash Govoha), Ohr Somayach Monsey, and the Kollel in Monsey of Rav Abba Berman’s talmidim, ‘B.M. Eeyun Hatalmud.’ He also directed the Rockland County branch of Partners in Torah, while broadcasting popular Torah programs on Monsey’s erstwhile all-Jewish radio station, and laining in three shuls every Shabbos morning. Since coming to Eretz Yisroel, R’ Steier has taught in Yeshivos Ohr Yerushalayim (O.J.), Tiferes Yerushalayim (T.J.), Mikdash Melech, and Shaare Hatalmud. He enjoys singing, and presenting “Songs To Inspire,” and despite his unfortunate total lack of a sense of humor, cannot be stopped from an endless stream of jokes. |
