Chag HaSemicha Ceremony & Gala Dinner

Beis Medrash L ’Talmud Musmachim

Rabbi Dotan Arusy

Rabbi Dotan Arusy, 35, has been learning at Lander Col-lege Beis Medrash L’Talmud for 15 years—three years as a bochur and 12 in the Kollel. While maintaining his dedication to intense learning on his own, Rabbi Arusy also enjoys giving shiurim to help talmidim grow in their learning and serves as a sgan mashgiach, giving hadracha to the talmidim. He delivered a nightly skill-building Gemara shiur for nine years on various masechtos and prepared talmidim for the semicha tests through review and by guiding them through the process as a shoel u’meishiv.

In the semicha program, Rabbi Arusy especially appreciated studying original sources, seeing the underlying principles at play, and then tracking their development from information to implementation. He plans to continue in intense learning and build his ability to deliver shiurim.

Rabbi Arusy is grateful to all of the hanhala and rebbeim at Lander College Beis Medrash L’Talmud, who infused him with a love of learning, excellent skills and a strong foundation of knowledge. Rabbi Arusy is especially indebted to his beloved rebbe, Rav Yehuda Parnes who trained him in derech halimud and encouraged him to invest in himself through his commitment to long-term learning, which will allow him to eventu-ally “spill to others from a full cup rather than pour to others from half a cup.”

Rabbi Ari Moshe Blavin

Rabbi Ari Blavin, 33, learned at Wisconsin Torah Institute in Milwaukee before coming to Lander College for Men Beis Medrash L’Talmud.

In learning for semicha, Rabbi Blavin truly enjoyed seeing the progression of each sugya from the Gemara to rishonim down through the ages into practical halacha. He is grateful to Rabbi Yehuda Parnes, who took him under his wing upon his arrival at the Yeshiva and who guided him in derech halimud, and to Rabbi Zvi Sokol whose shiurim and shimush were invaluable.

Rabbi Blavin is currently learning in the Lakewood Kollel in Detroit where he lives with his wife, Yehudis, and their four children.

Rabbi Yehoshua Drang

Rabbi Yehoshua Drang, 31, learned at Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh in Israel and at Ner Yisroel in Baltimore, Maryland, before joining Lander College for Men Beis Medrash L’Talmud. Today, he lives in West Hempstead, New York, and works as a financial advisor at Northwestern Mutual. Rabbi Drang appreciates the practical aspects of semicha and enjoys learning information that affects his daily life.

He has a master’s in accounting and holds a CPA license, which he earned while in Kollel. “The semicha program helped me build my work ethic. I developed study habits and set high expectations for myself,” Rabbi Drang said.

Rabbi Drang is grateful to Rabbi Chaim Kirschenbaum, who showed him what it means to make Torah part of your life, to Rabbi Zvi Sokol for his clarity in presenting complex topics, and Rabbi Yonason Sacks for inspiring him throughout the program.

Rabbi Mendy Eisenberg

Rabbi Mendy Eisenberg, 27, is honored to receive semicha. He learned at Yeshivat Reishit in Israel before attending Lander College for Men.

Rabbi Eisenberg currently lives in Elizabeth, New Jersey, with his wife, Shira, and their three-year-old son. Since he was in middle school, Rabbi Eisenberg has dreamt of becoming a teacher and finds his job as a rebbe at Ramaz Middle School in Manhattan extremely rewarding. “It is gratifying to explain a complicated subject to young students and to see their faces light up when they understand it,” he said.

Rabbi Eisenberg would like to thank Rabbi Kirschenbaum, who showed him how to teach in a down-to-earth and accessible style and to Rabbi Shmuelewitz for his brilliance and deep understanding of human nature. He is also grateful to his fellow talmidim, who greatly contributed to his learning.

Rabbi Avraham Elberger

Rabbi Avromy Elberger, 31, teaches and is a shoel u’meishiv at his alma mater, Yeshivat Sha’arei Mevaseret Zion, where he learned for three years before attending Lander College for Men Beis Medrash L’Talmud.

Rabbi Elberger received an MSW from Touro’s Graduate School of Social Work. He hopes to build on both his teaching experience and his social work training to enhance mental health awareness in yeshivas, from both a clinical and Torah perspective. “Lander cultivated within me an appreciation for teaching and an understanding of how to convey a down-to-earth but authentically frum worldview. I try to emulate that for my students,” he said.

Rabbi Elberger is grateful to all of the rebbeim at Lander. He feels a special level of hakaras hatov to Rav Yehuda Parnes for sharing his wit and wisdom both in and out of shiur—eight decades worth of insight and understanding in hashkafas hachaim, yiras shamayim and profound depth in learning. Rabbi Elberger currently lives in Mevaseret Tzion with his wife, Ahuva, and two children.

Rabbi Eliezer Feder

Rabbi Eliezer Feder spent his post-high school years in Israel at Yeshivat Shaalvim and has since spent nine years at Lander College for Men Beis Medrash L’Talmud, a place he considers his second home. Rabbi Feder graduated college with a degree in computer science and is in his sixth year in Kollel. He also completed a master’s degree in history with a concentration in Jewish education.

Rabbi Feder is currently a youth director at the Irving Place Minyan in Woodmere, where he lives with his wife, Ariela, and three children. He is also the head counselor and co-director of Camp Machane Chaim in Far Rockaway. Rabbi Feder’s goal is to be a rabbi and teacher. “It has always been a dream to teach Torah to others,” he said. Through the semicha program, he developed a passion for the applications, nuances and structure of Jewish law throughout the ages.

He is grateful to Rabbi Shmuel Marcus for his guidance and mentorship, Rabbi Zvi Sokol for his knowledge and clarity when discussing topics of Jewish Law and Rabbis Yonason Sacks and Yehuda Shmulewitz for their leadership of the yeshiva.

Rabbi Yitzchok Gross

Rabbi Yitzchak Gross, 30, is honored to receive semicha. Rabbi Gross learned at Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh before attending Lander College for Men. He lives in the Bronx and is a trained social worker.

As the youngest member of his shul, Young Israel of Pelham Parkway Jewish Center, Rabbi Gross was inspired to study for semicha by members of his community. “It is refreshing to see everything inside the texts myself and not just hear it from others,” he said.

Rabbi Gross would like to especially thank Rabbi Chaim Kirschenbaum for making him feel comfortable and confident in the program, and Rabbi Yitzchok Genack for his effective teaching.

Rabbi Gil Israel

Rabbi Gil Israel of Cedarhurst, New York, learned on his own throughout his college years at CUNY’s Queens College, where he earned degrees in Jewish studies and political science. After graduation, Rabbi Israel decided to pursue more structured Torah study at Lander College for Men Beis Medrash L’Talmud. While in the semicha program, he completed a master’s degree in Jewish education at Touro’s Graduate School of Jewish Studies.

Rabbi Israel is planning a career in Jewish education. The semicha training equipped him with the knowledge and skillset to educate children and adults in a wide range of Torah and halachic subjects. “I’d like to inspire students the way I have been inspired, and to further my own learning while helping others,” he said.

Rabbi Israel is grateful to all of his rebbeim at Lander, especially Rabbi Chaim Kirschenbaum, who guided him throughout the program and Rabbi Dotan Arusy, who helped him navigate the semicha curriculum and was a mentor throughout the program. He also is extremely appreciative to his parents, Shmuel Israel and Dganit, and his grandmother, Ruchama, who supported him throughout the endeavor.

Rabbi Shmuel Kahn

Rabbi Sammy (Shmuel) Kahn, 30, treasured the opportunity to continue learning at the Lander College for Men Beis Medrash L’Talmud. Originally from Chicago, Rabbi Kahn learned at Yeshivat Shaalvim in Israel before moving to New York to study at Lander. There, he completed his bachelor’s degree in mathematics while learning for semicha.

Rabbi Kahn now lives in Beit Shemesh, Israel, with his wife Rikki and three children. He is a data analyst in the health industry and has found that his semicha training is useful in unexpected ways. “I use the skills I learned analyzing texts to analyze issues at work,” he said. More importantly, the semicha training gave him knowledge of Jewish law that guides everyday life. Rabbi Kahn is especially grateful to Rabbi Yonason Sacks for his tremendous knowledge and ability to communicate complex information.

Rabbi Asael Kent

Rabbi Asael Kent, 27, is honored to receive semicha. He has been learning under Rabbi Soloveitchik at Lander College for Men Beis Medrash L’Talmud since 2014. He also completed a rabbinic training program through the National Council of Young Israel. Rabbi Kent received his bachelor’s degree from Lander College for Men and a master’s degree in industrial psychology from Touro. He has spent the past several summers working in talent management at a Midtown consulting firm and giving shiurim.

The semicha program enabled Rabbi Kent to grow closer to Hashem. He also developed a deeper sense of purpose. “Learning is incredible; it is essentially guidance for life. It comes with the responsibility to be a role model and a teacher,” he said.

Rabbi Kent hopes to make the spreading of Torah a central part of his life. In addition to Rabbi Soloveitchik, he would like to thank Rabbi Yehuda Shmulewitz for his insight, Rabbi Moshe Bamberger for his commitment to developing the next generation and Rabbi Sacks for his dedication to the Yeshiva. Rabbi Kent lives with his wife, Shoshana, in Queens, New York.

Rabbi Yaakov Lyss

Rabbi Jack Lyss, 28, learned at Derech Ohr Somayach and Yishrei Lev in Israel before attending Lander College for Men Beis Medrash L’Talmud. He is currently a fourth-year student at SUNY Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, he now lives in Kew Gardens Hills with his wife, Shoshana, and three children.

“The knowledge and training gained through the semicha program enabled me to develop my skills in learning and also shaped the way I’m raising my family,” said Rabbi Lyss. He is grateful to all of the rebbeim for sharing their values and perspective with him.

Rabbi Mimon Mamane

Rabbi Mimon Mamane, 30, grew up in a close-knit Sephardic community in Montreal. After studying for two years at Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh in Israel, he moved to Queens to study at Lander College for Men Beis Medrash L’Talmud. Rabbi Mamane completed his bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2010, then joined the semicha program. He also enrolled in Touro Graduate School of Social Work and is now a licensed clinical social worker.

Rabbi Mamane is both the rabbi of Congregation Magen David of Manhattan and an LCSW at a New York City hospital. Rabbi Mamane values the way in which his two careers support and enhance each other, making him more effective as both a rabbi and a social worker. “Through the semicha program, I was able to study and learn from brilliant rabbanim whose perspective on the halachic process really left an imprint,” he said. He is especially appreciative of Rabbi Chaim Kirschenbaum for sharing not only his knowledge, but also his wisdom.

Rabbi Ethan Razi

Rabbi Ethan Razi, 27, moved from his native Los Angeles to Queens to attend Lander College for Men. Before starting at Lander, he spent two years learning at Yeshivat Sha’arei Mevaseret Zion in Israel. At Lander, he majored in biology and decided to pursue a career in the sciences. He applied to dental school while in the semicha program at Lander College for Men Beis Medrash L’Talmud.

The semicha program was an opportunity for Rabbi Razi to keep learning even as he began to pursue professional goals in dentistry. He appreciated the opportunity to learn about practical aspects of halacha. He hopes to be able to share his knowledge by teaching and giving shiurim. The rigor and training of the semicha program also prepared him for dental school. “It opens your mind and teaches you how to think,” he said.

Rabbi Razi is grateful to all of the rebbeim at Lander, especially Rabbi Yehuda Shmulewitz who was his rebbe throughout his time at Lander and helped guide him to reach the milestone he has achieved today.

Rabbi Chanoch Schrier

Rabbi Chanoch Schrier has been part of the Lander College for Men Beis Medrash L’Talmud family for 15 years. He is honored to receive semicha and will continue to run a morning halacha seder and second seder Gemara shiur for Lander students as well as numerous alumni programs in his role as the alumni rebbe.

Originally hailing from Oceanside, Rabbi Schrier now lives in Richmond Hill, Queens, with his wife, Aliza, and four children. He studied at Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh for three years before attending Lander College. Lander “made me who I am. My whole growth as a ben Torah is from them,” he said. Rabbi Schrier is grateful to all of the rebbeim at Lander but would like to especially thank Rabbi Yehudah Parnes for inspiring his spiritual growth.

Rabbi Meir Sears

Rabbi Meir Sears, 28, spent nine years learning at Lander College for Men Beis Medrash L’Talmud and is honored to receive semicha there.

Rabbi Sears plans to continue learning and pursue a future as a rabbi. Originally from Twin Rivers, New Jersey, he and his wife, Naomi, now live in Skokie with their three children, where he is continuing his Torah study at the Hebrew Theological Seminary Kollel. Rabbi Sears is grateful to the Lander rebbeim and talmidim for their guidance, support and camaraderie.

Rabbi Nati Shore

Rabbi Nati Shore, 28, is honored to receive Semicha. Rabbi Shore learned at Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh and Mir Yerushalayim before attending Lander College for Men Beis Medrash L’Talmud. While at Lander, he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in Jewish education.

Being part of the semicha program had a profound impact on Rabbi Shore. “Having the opportunity to learn under such high caliber rebbeim was a tremendous zechus,” he said. Rabbi Shore is grateful to Rabbi Yonason Sacks, who was his rebbe for the six years he learned in Lander College Beis Medrash L’Talmud. Rabbi Shore cherishes the kesher that was forged and still speaks with Rabbi Sacks often and confers with him for hadracha.

Rabbi Shore gave the night seder bekius shiur at Lander for two years, which was an opportunity given to him by the rebbeim that he fondly remembers and one that he capitalized on to build his ability to transmit the excitement of learning to talmidim. He appreciates the trust placed in him by the Lander rebbeim and their affirmation that a career in chinuch was the right choice. A Toronto native, Rabbi Shore today lives in Waterbury, Connecticut, with his wife and children, and is a rebbe at Yeshiva K’tana of Waterbury.

Rabbi Dovid Sperber

Rabbi Dovid Sperber of Randolph, New Jersey, attended Touro College Israel while learning at Yeshivat Sha’arei Mevaseret Zion and then graduated from Lander College for Men with a degree in psychology. While in the semicha program, he completed two master’s degrees, one in industrial psychology and one in Jewish studies with a concentration in education.

Rabbi Sperber plans to use the knowledge and training he gained in the semicha program to have a direct and positive impact on the Jewish communal world, even as he builds a career in industrial psychology. “I appreciated the opportunity to learn halacha in a deep and structured way. It will be valuable in my own life, in my community and in my profession,” he said.

Rabbi Sperber is grateful to Rabbi Eliyahu Soloveichik who taught him how to understand the complexities of both halacha and hashkafa, and to Rabbi Moshe Bamberger, who helped him develop a balanced approach to living a frum and meaningful life. He resides in Kew Gardens Hills with his wife, Rivka, a physician assistant.

Rabbi Yehudah Steinberg

Rabbi Yudi Steinberg, 28, is honored to receive semicha and plans to continue learning at Lander College for Men Beis Medrash L’Talmud. Rabbi Steinberg studied at Ohr Yerushalayim before attending college at Lander College for Men, where he majored in computer science.

The semicha program gave Rabbi Steinberg a sense of mastery of Torah concepts and a new approach to learning. “I gained a picture of the way the entire system fits together,” he said. He would like to thank Rabbi Chaim Kirschenbaum for his patience and willingness to engage in discussion, Rabbi Dotan Arusy, who helped him master challenging material and Rabbi Yehuda Shmulewitz, who is his rebbe.

Rabbi Yishai Valter

Rabbi Yishai Valter, 29, studied at Ner Israel Toronto before attending Lander College for Men. He went on to get a graduate degree in biomedical engineering from City College of New York. Today, he lives in Highland Park, New Jersey, and works at Soterix Medical, a medical device company.

Receiving semicha is important to Rabbi Valter for its impact on his daily life. “I greatly value what I learned in the semicha program and I know this knowledge will help me teach and raise my own children,” he says. He also finds the ethical components of halacha learned during semicha helpful in the workplace.

Rabbi Valter is grateful to Rabbi Yonason Sacks for his broad knowledge and perspective and to Rabbi Zvi Sokol for his practical expertise and clarity. He and his wife, Shulamis, have two children, Racheli and Shoshana.

Rabbi Yosef Wilcox

Rabbi Yosef Wilcox, 33, is honored to receive semicha. Originally from West Bloomfield, Michigan, Rabbi Wilcox joined Lander College Beis Medresh L’Talmud as a student following three years of study in Israel. After receiving a B.A. in Accounting, he joined the Lander Kollel while simultaneously studying for and passing the CPA exam. Years later, he continues to learn and teach Torah as a member of the Kollel and night seder staff of Beis Medresh L’Talmud.

“Being a part of the Lander Kollel has given me the opportunity to discover and utilize my strengths, and it is with my deepest appreciation to all of those at Lander who helped give me the ability to do so,” he said. Rabbi Wilcox, who has a passion for learning and teaching Torah now lives in Woodmere, New York, where he has joined a growing community of b’nei Torah along with his wife, Gavi, and three children.

Rabbi Bentzion Yachzel

Rabbi Bentzion Yachzel, 36, is honored to receive semicha. He previously learned at Tiferet Yerushalayim and Bais Yisroel in Israel. For Rabbi Yachzel, the semicha program was the natural next step in his learning. He still davens at Lander every Shabbos and brings his children. “The relationships I cultivated with both friends and rabbeim has made me a better person, he says. Rabbi Yachzel feels tremendous gratitude to all of the rebbeim at Lander.

Rabbi Yachzel also earned a degree in accounting from Lander in 2010. Today, he works as an accountant at Brand Sonnenschine. Originally from Los Angeles, he now lives in Queens with his wife, Rivka, and four children.

Rabbi Shmuel Yudelzon

Rabbi Shmuel Yudelzon, 31, began his Jewish studies in his home country of Bulgaria before embarking on a path that led him to Lander College for Men Beis Medrash L’Talmud. Rabbi Yudelzon studied in Israel at Ohr Avraham and Yeshivas Mir for six years, ultimately deciding that he wanted to attend college in a setting that allowed him to continue his Talmudic studies. He moved to New York, completed his bachelor’s in finance and a master’s in Jewish history, all while studying for semicha. He is currently a teaching assistant at Touro.

Rabbi Yudelzon is already using his experience to contribute to Jewish life in his community in Bulgaria. He teaches a weekly Torah class in Bulgarian on Zoom. In the future, he hopes to create Torah source materials in Bulgarian since the community lacks Jewish resources in their native language.

In the semicha program, Rabbi Yudelzon valued the personal attention and flexibility. He is especially grateful to Rabbi Yehuda Kirschenbaum, Rabbi Zvi Sokol and Rabbi Yitzchok Genack for their time, expertise and devotion; Rabbi Yonason Sacks for exemplifying the breadth and depth of knowledge that comes from years of study and devotion; and Rabbi Yehuda Shmulewitz for his constant encouragement and invaluable guidance.

Rabbi Shlomo Zelefsky

Rabbi Shlomo Zelefsky, 26, is honored to receive semicha. Rabbi Zelefsky previously learned at Yeshiva Sha’ar HaTorah in Queens and the Mirrer Yeshiva in Israel. He currently lives in Lawrence, New York, with his wife, Mindy, and their two children.

Rabbi Zelefsky graduated from Lander College for Men and will begin dental school in the fall. He hopes to use his semicha training to address halachic questions in both his home and community.

“Studying practical halacha and hearing shiurim from the rabbis at Lander gave me a greater understanding of how to make decisions that affect daily life. It motivates me to keep on learning and using my time to the fullest,” said Rabbi Zelefsky. He would like to thank all the rebbeim at Lander for their warmth and accessibility, insights and knowledge.