Aaron Schechter
Aaron Moshe Schechter (also Aharon Moshe Schechter) is an American Haredi rabbi.
Rabbi Aaron Moshe Schechter | |
---|---|
Aaron Schechter celebrating Purim in Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin during the late 1970s. | |
Personal | |
Born | Brooklyn, New York |
Religion | Judaism |
Nationality | American |
Spouse | Shoshana Roisa Leichtung |
Children | Mordechai Zelig, Nosson, Esther, Nechama, Yehudis |
Denomination | Hardei |
Jewish leader | |
Predecessor | Yitzchok Hutner |
Position | Rosh yeshiva |
Yeshiva | Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin |
Schechter is the rosh yeshiva (dean) of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin and its post-graduate Talmudical division, Kollel Gur Aryeh. He also serves on the presidium of Agudath Israel of America.
Early life
Schechter was born in Brooklyn in the 1920s. He became a disciple of Yitzchok Hutner after being enrolled in the Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin as a young child. He also studied in the Lakewood Yeshiva. His father belonged to the Young Israel movement and was befriended by Hutner who had arrived in America in the 1930s.
Disciple of Rav Yitzchok Hutner
Hutner chose Schechter for leadership positions in the yeshiva even prior to Schechter's marriage. Hutner encouraged him to write a rabbinic commentary on Maimonides, which he called Avodas Aharon.[1]
Rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin
A number of years prior to his death in 1980, Hutner announced that Schechter and Yonasan David would serve as co-equal roshei yeshiva of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin. This was done when the yeshiva moved to its present location on Coney Island Avenue in 1966.
Agudath Israel and Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah
After the death of Hutner in 1980, Schechter joined the nesius (presidium) of Agudath Israel of America.
Schechter has worked closely with two other early disciples of Hutner on the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, Aharon Feldman of Yeshiva Ner Yisrael and Yaakov Perlow, the Rebbe of Novominsk, who was appointed Rosh Agudas Yisroel (head of Agudath Israel of America).
On January 13, 2015, Schechter resigned from the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah over a dispute regarding internal dissent in the World Agudath Israel affiliated Degel Hatorah. After the dispute was settled, he returned.
Personal life
Schechter married Shoshana Roisa Leichtung in 1954. She served as the Principal of General Studies at Yeshiva of Brooklyn's girls' elementary school for over 20 years. She died on August 4, 2016.[2] They had two sons. One, Mordechai Zelig Schecter, serves as the mashgiach ruchani (spiritual supervisor) at Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin. The other, Nosson Schecter, is a mohel. Their eldest daughter is Esther Yormark, teacher at Beis Yaakov Academy in Brooklyn. She is the wife of Shalom Eliyahu "Elyah" Yormark, who serves as the Second Seder Shoel Umeishiv for 12th grade and the 1st year of the post-high school program. Another daughter is Nechama Halioua, wife of Shlomo Halioua. Halioua serves as Maggid Shiur. The last daughter is Yehudis Senderovitz, wife of Yitzchok Meir "Itche" Senderovitz. Senderovitz is the Second Seder Shoel Umeishiv for the second and third years of the post-high school program.
Works
See also
- Daat Torah
- Torah study
External links
- Rabbi Schechter speaks to students on OU radio, December 28, 2006
- Participates in conference concerning conversions, February 7, 2007
- Endorses the outreach kiruv work of the oorah.org organization
- Member of rabbinical committee, Vaad L'Hatzolas Nidchei Yisroel
- Video of Rabbi Schechter speaking about reconciling Science and Torah
References
- Aharon Moshe Schechter, Sefer Avodat Aharon (Shulsinger Brothers, 1957)
- "Rebbetzin Shoshana Schechter, A"h - Hamodia Jewish Community News". Hamodia. August 4, 2016. Retrieved March 30, 2017.