Jewish Life: Dating
Dr. Norman Blumenthal
Dr. Norman Blumenthal is education director of the Bella and Harry Wexner Kollel Elyon and Semikha Honors Program at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University. A licensed clinical psychologist with a private practice in Lawrence, NY, Dr. Blumenthal is Zachter Family Chair in Trauma and Crisis Counseling and Director of OHEL Miriam Center for Trauma, Bereavement and Crisis Response. Dr. Blumenthal is founder and chairman of the board of education of CAHAL, a partnership of 10 local yeshivot and Hebrew day schools providing special education classes for learning disabled children; coordinator of group psychotherapy training for interns and residents at the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System; and consultant to TOVA, a mentoring program for disenfranchised teens. Dr. Blumenthal received his MA and PhD from Adelphi University. Sample Titles discipline sibling rivalry year in Israel bereavement children’s reactions to trauma and loss secondary trauma affluenza (relationship to money) adjusting to financial hardship adolescence parental alienation dating and courtship religious differences between parents and children parental relationship with grown up children self...
Rabbi Meir Goldwicht
Rabbi Meir Goldwicht, a prominent Israeli scholar and educator, is the Joel and Maria Finkle Visiting Israeli Rosh Yeshiva and a rosh yeshiva at the Yeshiva Program/Mazer School of Talmudic Studies at Yeshiva University. He is also head rosh yeshiva at the Irving I. Stone Beit Midrash Program. Rabbi Goldwicht received semikha from the renowned rabbinic authorities Rabbi Zalman Nehemia Goldberg, former Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem HaRav HaGaon Betzallel Zolti and Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, HaRav Rashi of Israel. Rabbi Goldwicht delivers Hebrew and English shiurim (lectures) extensively across the metropolitan area, throughout the United States and in Israel, including weekly evening shiurim in 5 New York area communities. He has delivered more than 1,000 inspiring shiurim every year to grateful audiences. Rabbi Goldwicht is also rosh kollel at Camp Mesorah. Sample Titles Chazal’s Perspective on Daily Life Situations The Secret of the Strength and Power of our People, from Megillat Esther Until Today Greek Culture Then and Now Yerushalayim Kisei Hashem, Yesterday and Today in the Perspective of Chazal...
Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff
Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff serves on the Judaic studies faculty of Stern College for Women. Originally from London, England, Rabbi Hajioff graduated with honors in political science from Manchester University. After working for two years for MTV in news production, and winning the national competition ‘Jewish Stand-Up Comedian’ of the Year, Rabbi Hajioff traveled to study in Israel and then Monsey to receive his rabbinical smicha ordination from Yeshiva Ohr Somayach. Rabbi Hajioff has worked extensively with young Jewish drug addicts, and in 2004 received an award from the Town of Ramapo for his work on their behalf. In 2005 Rabbi Hajioff joined the faculty of Stern College for Women at Yeshiva University. In 2006 he received the “Professor of the Year” award in Judaic Studies from the senior year students at Stern. Rabbi Hajioff also works for Birthright Israel in New York as their official Rabbi and educational director. He has been instrumental in implementing programs for Birthright Israel in Manhattan such as the very successful adult bar and bat mitzvah program which some four hundred people have completed so far. He also leads trips to Israel and Poland three times annually for some three hundred participants. Rabbi Hajioff also teaches on the Mechina Introductory Judaic studies program at Stern College. This program includes Shabbatonim on and off campus, and a summer learning program in Israel at the YU campus. He teaches introductory Judaic studies courses, which cover all the foundations of Jewish thought, as well as a lower intermediate level course covering all the Jewish holidays, and an intermediate level course on the Sabbath. He has developed a new course introducing kabbalistic ideas in Jewish thought. Sample Titles The Five Levels of Pleasure Four Misconceptions Jews Have About Judaism Children – Planting and Building; Bringing up Healthy Children in Today’s Technological World. Finding Inspiration in a Hectic World Do Jews Believe in G-d War – What is it Good For? Israel – Whose Land Is It Anyway? Health...
Rabbi Aharon Kahn
Rabbi Aharon Kahn was named Joel Jablonski Professor of Talmud and Codes at Yeshiva University’s affiliated Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) in 1988. A specialist in rabbinic law, Rabbi Kahn was ordained at RIETS in 1969 and later earned Semikhah Yadin Yadin, the highest level of rabbinic ordination, from the late Torah sages Rabbi Mendel Zaks and Rabbi Moshe Duber Rivkin. For 20 years, he studied with the late, revered Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Leib Merkin Distinguished Professor of Talmud and Jewish Philsophy at RIETS, who was considered the foremost authority on Halakhah (Jewish law) and chief mentor and inspiration of authentic Jewish leadership on this continent. For ten of those years, he was Rabbi Soloveitchik’s assistant. Rabbi Kahn was appointed Rosh Kollel of RIETS’ prestigious Kollel Elyon at its inception and served in that position from 1983 to 1998. At RIETS, Rabbi Kahn was co-editor of the University’s Centennial Torah volume, Yevul Hayovlot, which contained a sampling of the Torah scholarship of Yeshiva’s roshei yeshiva since its inception. He is also the author of nine volumes spanning the entire range of Jewish scholarship. Rabbi Kahn completed eighteen year tenure as spiritual leader of the Downtown Talmud Torah Synagogue on Manhattan’s Lower East Side in 1987. He then moved to the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn where he established Knesseth Bais Avigdor, a unique congregation that provides opportunities for lay people to engage in serious Torah study on a daily basis. His wife, Rebetzin Rachel Kahn, is the principal of the Bais Yaakov of the East Side. Mr. Jablonski established the Chair in Talmud and Codes in memory of his parents, Chaim and Sima Weissman Jablonski, and his brother, Bezalel in July, 1988. Sample Titles Memories of the Rav Perspectives on Tzedaka Teshuvah–It’s Time! The Rambam’s Mitzvah of Koreich Giving Thanks–Hakoras Hatovah: A Yesod in Yahadus Nosai Be’ol im Chaveiro: The Passion in Compassion Chazal’s Perspective on Daily Life...
Rabbi Ari Sytner
Rabbi Ari Sytner is Director of Community Initiatives at Yeshiva University’s Center for the Jewish Future where he works to help strengthen communities nationwide. Training community leaders, rabbis, and rabbinic students in the art of Jewish leadership, Rabbi Sytner uses his talents and passions to reach and inspire the full spectrum of the Jewish people. Rabbi Sytner is originally from Monsey, NY. A student of Rabbi Berel Wein, he has served on the pulpit for 13 years in out of town communities, 5 years in Des Moines, Iowa and 8 years in Charleston, South Carolina. Rabbi Sytner studied Psychology for his undergraduate degree, Education for his Masters, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Social Work. Sample Titles My Kidney Donation: A Personal Journey & Halachik Analysis Do Jews Believe in Karma? Achieving Stress-Free Living Angels & Demons Heaven and Hell: What do we Really believe? Lose Yourself in the Music: Why People get Entranced by Song Does Mazel Dictate our Destiny? Kaballah 101: What to Believe? Are Miracles Real? How Can we Tell? Divine Intervention: Can we Feel G-d in our Lives? Moses on the Corporate Ladder: Leadership Strategies from the Torah 3 Jews 4 Opinions: Why we Don’t See Eye to Eye Women in the Talmud Jewish Dilemmas in Bioethics Organ Donation Fertility & Reproductive Technologies in Halachah Stem Cell Research Hospice and End of Life Issues The Right to Die: DNR’s & Autonomy in Medicine Coping with Tragedy: A Jewish Perspective David’s Story: A Paraplegic’s Struggle to Live A Close-up Look at the Marriage of Rabbi Akiva Dating: Obstacles, Realities and Success Jewish Dating Practices: Past, Present & Future Successful Parenting for Raising Awesome Kids Honoring Parents in the Good Times & the Bad Making Marriage Great (And Painless) Dysfunctional Families in the Torah Religious Dilemmas in the Holocaust The False Messiah Phenomenon: A Look at Shabtai Zvi Why is Israel Always in the Spotlight? Esther’s Secret: A Fresh Analysis of Purim Secrets of the Pesach Seder...