RIETS Hires New Undergraduate Rabbeim
This year, RIETS hired three new undergraduate Rebbeim to supplement the existing Undergraduate Torah Studies staff as well as to take over some responsibilities held by former Mashpia Rabbi Moshe Weinberger. Rabbis Mordechai BenHaim, Dan Cohen, Ari Zahtz and Yehoshua Rubenstein commenced their new roles in the University at the beginning of the semester.
Each new hire is intended to fill a specific niche within the University. Rabbi BenHaim will be teaching the first Mazer Yeshiva Program (MYP) shiur specifically catered to the Sephardic population at Yeshiva University, that will be taught in English. Rabbi Cohen, who had previously taught classes in Isaac Breuer College (IBC), will also be catering to the growing Sephardic population in Yeshiva and will be teaching a Stone Beit Medrash Program (SBMP) shiur. Rabbi Zahtz will be teaching a MYP shiur that caters to students seeking skills development.
In talking about his new position, Rabbi Zahtz explained, “I look forward to creating relationships with my talmidim and working together with them on developing an approach to learning any page of Gemara through the lens of Rashi’s interpretation.”
Rabbi Rubenstein will be giving chaburot and meeting with students on Tuesday nights, a role originally filled by Rabbi Weinberger. However, Rabbi Rubinstein will not be assuming the position of Mashpia, and RIETS “will continue to look for those who can assume different parts of [Rabbi Weinberger’s] role.”
Rabbi Weinberger will be coming to Yeshiva monthly and will be present for a minimum of one Shabbat this year. He will also continue to lead many of the major events, as he has in the past. The biggest change will be the many hours that Rav Weinberger spent every week meeting with students.
Regarding both the new hires of RIETS and the shifting of responsibilities since the leaving of Rabbi Weinberger, Rabbi Penner has said, “It is our responsibility to provide pathways for as many of our Talmidim as possible with Rabbeim, Mashgichim and others who they can relate to”. He further explains that RIETS “will continue to provide an even wider variety of role models and teachers from whom our precious Talmidim can learn”.
Photo Caption: RIETS Rebbeim: (left to right) Ari Zahtz, Moshe Weinberger, Dan Cohen, Yehoshua Rubenstein, Mordechai BenHaim
Photo Credit: Yeshiva University
