Nosson Tzvi Finkel was an influential Lithuanian Jewish leader of Orthodox Judaism in Eastern Europe and founder of the Slabodka yeshiva, in the town of Sloboda Vilyampolskaya. He is also known by the Yiddish appellation der Alter and as the Alter of Slabodka. Many of his pupils were to become major leaders of Orthodox Judaism in the USA and Israel.
Norman Lamm was an American Modern Orthodox rabbi, scholar, academic administrator, author, and Jewish community leader. He was the Chancellor of Yeshiva University until he announced his retirement on July 1, 2013.
The Soloveitchik dynasty of rabbinic scholars and their students originated the Brisker method of Talmudic study, which is embraced by their followers in the Brisk yeshivas. It is so called because of the Soloveitchiks' origin in the town of Brisk, or Brest-Litovsk, located in what is now Belarus. Many of the first Soloveitchik rabbis were the official rabbis of Brisk, and each in turn was known as "the Brisker Rov". Today, Brisk refers to several yeshivas in Israel and the United States founded by members of the Soloveitchik family, including: ‘Brisk Proper’(Now run by R’ Abraham Yehousua Soloveitchik),R’ Dovid’s, Tomo(Toras Moshe), and others.
Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim is an Orthodox yeshiva based in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens, New York, United States. It is primarily an American, non-chasidic ultra-orthodox Talmudic yeshiva. The yeshiva is legally titled Rabbinical Seminary of America (RSA) but is often referred to as just Chofetz Chaim as that was the nickname of its namesake, Yisroel Meir Kagan. It has affiliate branches in Israel and North America.
Ramot, also known as Ramot Alon, is an Israeli settlement in East Jerusalem. Ramot is one of Jerusalem's so-called "Ring settlements". The land was annexed by Israel 13 years after the Six-Day War. As part of Ramot was established in East Jerusalem, the international community considers it an Israeli settlement. The international community considers Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.
David Golinkin is an American-born conservative rabbi and Jewish scholar who has lived in Jerusalem since 1972. He is President of the Schechter Institutes, Inc., President Emeritus of the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies and Professor of Jewish Law at the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, Israel.
Shlomo Goren, was a Polish-born Israeli rabbi and Talmudic scholar. An Orthodox Jew and Religious Zionist, he was considered a foremost rabbinical legal authority on matters of Jewish religious law (halakha). In 1948, Goren founded and served as the first head of the Military Rabbinate of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), a position he held until 1968. Subsequently, he served as Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv–Jaffa between 1968 and his 1972 election as the Chief Rabbi of Israel; the third Ashkenazi Jew to hold office. After his 1983 retirement from the country's Chief Rabbinate, Goren served as the head of a yeshiva that he established in Jerusalem.
Shlomo Chaim Hacohen Aviner is an Israeli Orthodox rabbi. He is the rosh yeshiva (dean) of Ateret Yerushalayim and the former rabbi of Beit El, an Israeli settlement. He is considered one of the spiritual leaders of the Religious Zionist movement.
Nefesh B'Nefesh, or Jewish Souls United, a nonprofit organization, promotes, encourages and facilitates aliyah from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The organization aims to remove or minimize the financial, professional, logistical, and social obstacles that potential olim face. Nefesh B'Nefesh works in close cooperation with the Jewish Agency for Israel, the Government of Israel and major Jewish organizations across various denominations, and assists people of all ages in the pre- and post-aliyah process, offering resources such as financial aid, employment guidance and networking, assistance navigating the Israeli system, social guidance and counseling. Since 2002 Nefesh B'Nefesh has brought over 60,000 olim to Israel. In 2011 Nefesh B'Nefesh co-founder Yehoshua Fass received the Moskowitz Prize for Zionism on behalf of the organization.
The Charedi Council of Jerusalem is a large Haredi Jewish communal organization based in Jerusalem, with several thousands affiliated households. It is led by an independent rabbinical court, chaired by the Gaon Convenor, acronymed Ga'avad, and operated by the Rabbi Convenor, Ra'avad. The Council provides facilities such as dietary laws supervision, ritual baths, a Sabbath enclosure, and welfare services. The Council was founded in 1921 by devout Ashkenazi residents of Jerusalem, especially of the Old Yishuv, who refused to be affiliated in any way with the new Zionist institutions.
Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah is the supreme rabbinical policy-making council of the Agudat Yisrael and Degel HaTorah movements in Israel; and of Agudath Israel of America in the United States. Members are usually prestigious Roshei Yeshiva or Hasidic rebbes, who are also usually regarded by many Haredi Jews to be the Gedolim ("great/est") sages of Torah Judaism. Before the Holocaust, it was the supreme authority for the World Agudath Israel in Europe.
Rabbi Mark Dratch is the founder of JSafe. In 2010 he was named as one of Newsweek's Top 50 Rabbis in America. He was number 13 on Newsweek's list in 2013. He was married to Sarah Lamm, the daughter of Rabbi Norman Lamm, the long-time Chancellor of Yeshiva University. In December, 2017 he married Rachel Levitt Klein. In July, 2023 he made Aliya.
Hardal usually refers to the portion of the Religious Zionist Jewish community in Israel which inclines significantly toward Haredi ideology. In their approach to the State of Israel, though, they are very much Zionist and believe that Israel is Atchalta De'Geula.
Yeshivat Har Etzion, commonly known in English as "Gush" and in Hebrew as "Yeshivat HaGush", is a hesder yeshiva located in Alon Shvut, an Israeli settlement in Gush Etzion. It is considered one of the leading institutions of advanced Torah study in the world and with a student body of roughly 480, it is one of the largest hesder yeshivot in the West Bank.
Haim Drukman was an Israeli Orthodox rabbi and politician. The most senior spiritual leader of the Religious Zionist community at the time of his death, he served as rosh yeshiva (dean) of Yeshivat Or Etzion, and head of the Center for Bnei Akiva Yeshivot.
Mitzpe Yeriho, also spelled Mitzpeh Yericho, is a religious Israeli settlement in the West Bank, located next to the Palestinian city of Jericho, from where it gets its name. Located 20 km east of Jerusalem and 10 km east of Ma'ale Adumim along Highway 1 in the Judean desert, it is organised as a community settlement and falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council. In 2021 it had a population of 2,638.
Seth Farber is an American-Israeli Modern Orthodox rabbi, historian, and founder and director of the Jewish life advocacy organization, ITIM.
Rabbi Shaul Yisraeli was one of the leading rabbis of religious Zionism. He served as the rabbi of moshav Kfar Haroeh, as a Dayan in the Supreme religious court of Israel, as a member of the Chief Rabbinate Council, as Rosh Yeshiva in Mercaz HaRav, and as President of the Eretz Hemdah Institute. Rabbi Yisraeli was awarded the Israel Prize in Judaic Studies.
Ratzon Halevi Arusi is the Chief Rabbi of the city of Kiryat Ono, Israel, member of the Council of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, Founder and chairman of the organization Halichot Am Yisrael, and President of Machon Mishnat Ha-Rambam. He has a PhD in law from Tel Aviv University, and was a lecturer in Mishpat Ivri at Bar Ilan University. He is the winner of the Katz Prize for 2019. He is considered the primary disciple of Rabbi Yosef Qafih (Kapach).
