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Faculty
Our
staff:
 talented and idealistic faculty members who transmit
Torah in an authentic and personal way to our students,
serving as role models and inspiration.
spans the halachic and ideological streams in the
Torah-observant world.
have university backgrounds and professional experience
in a variety of fields.
were trained in the world's leading Yeshivot, including
The Mir, Kerem B'Yavneh, Chaim Berlin, Ateret Cohanim,
Torah Or, Yeshiva University and Yeshivat Har Etzion,
among others.
Presented here are brief biographical sketches of the
people to whom our students owe so much of their intellectual
and spiritual growth.
Rabbi Yitzchak Hirshfeld 
Rabbi Hirshfeld, co-founder of the
Darche Noam Institutions, is Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshivat
Darche Noam/David Shapell College. Originally from Chicago,
he is a graduate of the Hebrew Theological College in
Skokie, Illinois. In 1969, after completing a BA in
Mathematics at Roosevelt University, he came to Israel
and was privileged to learn under the Roshei Yeshiva
at the Mir Yeshiva, Rabbi Chaim Shmulevitz zt"l and
Rabbi Nachum Pertzovich zt"l. Before the establishment
of the Darche Noam Institutions, he taught at the original
Shapell College and at Aish HaTorah. Regarded as father
figure of the yeshiva, Rabbi Hirshfeld makes each student
feel cherished, working and learning with him rather
than simply teaching him.
Rabbi
Shaya Karlinsky
 Rabbi
Karlinsky is co-founder and Dean of the Darche Noam
Institutions, Yeshivat Darche Noam/David Shapell College
and the Midreshet Rachel v'Chaya College of Jewish Studies
for Women. His reputation as an expert educator is a
reflection of both his academic training and his motivational
personality. Through his direct approach of questioning
students and forcing them to question themselves, he
has succeeded in awakening inquiring minds for Torah
study throughout the years. A Los Angeles native, Rabbi
Karlinsky studied at UCLA before going to Israel in
1968, to study at Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh and the Mir
Yeshiva. After receiving smicha from ITRI, he completed
a Master's degree in educational psychology at Philadelphia's
Temple University and returned to Israel in 1975. His
"eye" for connecting with students on their individual
levels and his ability to see straight to the core of
issues can be partially attributed to skills gained
from his work as a widely published photojournalist.
Rabbi Yitzchak Shurin 
Rabbi Shurin is the Rosh Midrasha
of Midreshet Rachel v'Chaya College of Jewish Studies
for Women and a senior faculty member at Yeshivat
Darche Noam/David Shapell College. Rabbi Shurin grew
up in New York, and learned at Yeshivat Rabbeinu Chaim
Berlin under Rav Yitzchak Hutner, zt"l. After receiving
an advanced degree in Guidance and Counseling from
Nova University, he moved to Israel in 1977, joining
the Kollel and staff of the original Shapell College.
A grandson of Reb Yaakov Kamenetsky, zt"l, who was
one of the spiritual giants of the previous generation,
Rabbi Shurin shares memories of his grandfather, providing
his students with unique insights and an outstanding
role model. He recognizes the unfamiliarity that many
have with Torah Judaism and with his sensitivity to
their fears and concerns, he provides them with the
connection and bond that many feel they are lacking.
Rabbi
Yehuda Aaronson
 Rabbi
Aaronson wears a number of hats at Darche Noam Institutions.
His teaching, the opening Halakha class, integrates
with his job as the liaison with alumni and Director
of Development. He understands Darche Noam inside-out,
first studying at Shapell's from 1986 to 1989, then
as an alumnus working in venture capital, and now
teaching, fundraising and developing alumni programming
and connections. Rabbi Aaronson is a unique role model,
so students can see what they can do and where they
can go, both in learning and integrating Torah with
practical life. Rabbi Aaronson and his wife Annette,
a Midreshet Rachel v'Chaya alumna, live with their
children in Beit Shemesh.
- Rabbi Binyomin Adilman
 Rabbi
Binyomin Adilman, a Chicago native, has been living
in Israel since 1986. He received a BA in Education
and Near Eastern Studies from the University of California
in Berkeley, and received his smicha from HaRav Zalman
Nechemia Goldberg, shlit"a, Av Beis Din of the
Jerusalem Rabbinate. He is a former member of Kollel
Kiryat Nachliel in Migdal HaEmek, and Kollel Boston
in Jerusalem. He is the founder and director of the
Jerusalem based Nishmas Chayim Institutions. Rabbi Adilman
specializes in Chassidic thought and philosophy, nourishing
his students' souls through the inner dimension of Judaism.
Students seeking advice and guidance quickly discover
Rabbi Adilman's warmth, wisdom, and attentive ear.
Rabbi
Yaakov Beasley 
Rabbi Yaakov Beasley teaches our highest level Chumash
shiur and our overview of Jewish History. He brings
wide knowledge and experience to this task - having
graduated from Yeshiva University with a Master's in
Jewish Education, minoring in Tanach and Jewish History,
before continuing with his smicha studies at Meretz
Kollel in Mevasseret Zion. Rav Yaakov taught for several
years at Shaarei Mevasseret Zion and Machon Gold, before
going overseas to Minneapolis and Toronto, where he
quickly developed a reputation as an educational and
entertaining lecturer, discussing a variety of subjects
including Tanach, Jewish History, and Jewish Philosophy.
He returned to Israel after serving as the head of the
Tanach department at the Community Hebrew Academy of
Toronto, North America's largest day school. He lives
in Alon Shevut, with his wife Devorah and five boys,
and is writing two books on literary structures and
intertextuality in Tanach.
Rabbi
Joel Cohen 
Rabbi Cohen leads the Smicha preparation program at the Yeshiva, guiding advanced students as they work out the complexities of halacha and difficult source material. With a father who worked for the Mossad, he traveled the world as a child, living in France, Switzerland, Ethiopia, Turkey and Italy. Finally settling in Brooklyn, New York, he spent 18 years in the business world, spending his spare time as an avid golfer and golf instructor. He has been learning at Yeshivat Darche Noam/David Shapell College since 1995 and received smicha from the Israeli Rabbinate. Rabbi Cohen lives in Jerusalem with his wife Orna and four children.
Rabbi
Menachem Farber 
Before
making aliya in 1970, Rabbi Farber lived in New York,
and learned at Yeshivat Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin, and studied
Political Science at Brooklyn College. Rabbi Farber
was a close Talmid of Rav Yitzchak Hutner, zt"l, and
is today a leading expert on Rav Hutner's monumental
work Pachad Yitzchak. Since joining Darche Noam in 1990,
he has gained a reputation as one of the pillars of
the institution. The first to arrive and the last to
leave each day, continually radiating words of Torah,
he serves as a worthy role model for his students. His
love for his talmidim can be seen through his well-known
and enthusiastic participation in the joyous events
of the Darche Noam community.
-
Rabbi Aryeh Feldman
 The
most advanced Talmud students at Darche Noam/David Shapell
College benefit from Rabbi Feldman's vast experience
in "lomdus", a conceptual approach to Gemara
study. After years of learning in the modern Lithuanian
Yeshiva world - Brisk, Lakewood, Mir, and Beis Hatalmud,
Rabbi Feldman began passing on his approach to learning
through classes in Israel and America. His aim in his
shiur is to show the students the analytical underpinnings
of the line-by-line discussions of the Gemara and Rishonim.
Students learn to independently compare and analyze
Rishonim and Acharonim.
-
Rabbi Avraham Fischer
 Rabbi
Fischer introduces beginning students at Darche Noam/Shapell's
to the fundamentals of Hebrew language and understanding
the Biblical text. He has a BA in English Literature
from Yeshiva University, Smicha from RIETS, and an MA
in English Literature from NYU. After serving as Rabbi
and educator at a small congregation in New Jersey,
Rabbi Fischer made aliya in 1986. He was Director of
Jewish Studies at the WUJS Institute in Arad, and continues
to teach there, as well as at a number of other educational
and outreach programs, including Midreshet Rachel v'Chaya
College for Women.
Rabbi Yakov Haber
 Rabbi
Yakov Haber is known for the clarity of presentation
and dynamic teaching style that he brings to his in-depth
gemara shiurim. An enthusiastic educator, he comes to
Shapell´s with a decade of expertise in high-level Torah
education at Yeshiva University: as a rebbe in YU´s
Stone Beit Midrash Program; as coordinator of the practical
halacha learning program at RIETS; and as a teacher
of Halacha, Jewish thought, and prayer at Stern College
for Women. After learning at Israel´s Yeshivat Kerem
B´Yavneh and pursuing a master's degree in Computer
Science, he was a fellow at YU´s prestigious and challenging
Gruss Kollel Elyon. Rabbi Haber, his wife and children
made aliya in 2007 and live in Ramat Beit Shemesh.
Rabbi
Meshulam Isaac 
Rabbi
Meshulam Isaac is a veteran staff member of Yeshivat
Darche Noam/David Shapell College. Raised in Detroit,
he studied with Rav Pinchas Scheinberg, shlit'a, first
in New York and then from 1966 in Torah Or in Jerusalem.
"Reb Meshulam", as he is fondly called, has been teaching
the introductory level Gemara shiur from the Yeshiva's
earliest years. A master at communicating the foundations
of Talmud study, he has guided hundreds of talmidim
in taking their first steps through the Gemara. Through
a wealth of Jewish stories, poignant anecdotes, and
a remarkable sense of humor, he is renowned for taking
even the most complicated sections of the Gemara or
Talmudic structures and making them understandable.
His class has been compared to a kindergarten - the
place where everyone starts, quickly moves on from,
yet hates to leave.
Rabbi Dovid Kamenetsky 
Rabbi Kamenetsky has been with the
Yeshivat Darche Noam/ David Shapell College since 1990.
The son of Hagaon Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky, Rosh Yeshiva
of the Philadelphia Yeshiva, Reb Dovid moved to Israel
in 1982, where he learned at the Mir, Brisk, and Mishkan
HaTorah. A contributing editor to the ArtScroll English-language
elucidation and commentary on the Talmud, he currently
teaches the mid-level Gemara shiur, emphasizing the
necessity to understand the text clearly. With the same
clarity of expression that he exhibits in his writing
for ArtScroll, he provides his students with a conceptual
understanding of the questions, positions, and arguments
embedded in the text of Gemara.
Rabbi
Reuven Kamenetsky
 Rabbi
Kamenetsky teaches advanced students both Gemara and
Hashkafa. Rabbi Kamenetsky grew up in Israel and studied
at the Mir Yeshiva and ITRI. He is a professional sofer
and has been teaching daily Gemara classes for working
married men for the past nine years. The breadth of
his knowledge acquired during years of teaching the
complete Talmud through "Amud Yomi" serves as an inspiration
for the students in his advanced Talmud class.
Rabbi
Eliezer Kwass 
After receiving smicha from Yeshiva
University as well as an MS in Jewish Philosophy, Rabbi
Kwass made aliya and learned at Yeshivat Har Etzion.
Upon arriving in Israel, he dedicated time to teaching
basic Judaism to Russian olim. Now, he teaches Gemara
and Chumash, guiding students on their path to feeling
at home with Torah sources. Integrating the material
with practical life experiences, he provides his students
with an understanding of the technical and practical
sides of the subject matter. In the process they achieve
a deeper knowledge of the themes and values being taught.
Rabbi Kwass is also responsible for the development
and coordination of the Darche Noam Website.
Rabbi
Yitzchak Lerner 
Rabbi
Lerner, a Darche Noam/Shapell's student who returned
to teach here, shares his learning, good humor and outgoing
personality with the new generation of students. After
completing his BA in International Relations from Concordia
University, he left his native Canada to begin his studies
at Darche Noam/David Shapell College in 1992. After
three years of studying here, he went on to learn at
Medrash Shmuel and received smicha from Rav Zalman Nechemia
Goldberg shlit"a. Rabbi Lerner continues to pursue high
level Talmud study, and devotes the rest of his time
and energy to education, outreach and his family. In
addition to his popular classes on the fundamentals
of Judaism, Halacha, and Mishna, he is Darche Noam/Shapell's
night Seder Rebbe. He also teaches at Midreshet Rachel
v'Chaya College and other seminaries in Jerusalem. He
lives with his wife, Michelle, and family in Beitar
Illit.
Rabbi
Amos Luban
 Rabbi Amos Luban studied in the Hesder Program at Yeshivat Hakotel and continued in its Kollel from 1983 until 1990. After teaching in Yeshivat Hakotel’s overseas program for thirteen years, he became and continues to be a popular instructor at Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh since it began in 2003. Recently, he has begun focusing on Machshava classes and personal counseling, applying his degree in psychology from Bar Ilan University. He studied under and maintains a close connection with many of Jerusalem’s leading Torah scholars. Rabbi Luban and his wife live in Or Haganuz.
Rabbi
Avraham Nissim
 Rabbi
Avraham Nissim, who teaches in our advanced Halacha
program, was born and raised in London, England. Before
beginning to study law at university, he decided to
attend yeshiva in Israel. After years of study at Ohr
Somayach and Mercaz Hatorah he joined the Halacha Kollel
of then Chief Rabbi of Israel, HaRav Mordechai Eliyahu,
Shlit"a, where he received smicha. He has taught an
outreach program for Israeli soldiers and policemen
about basic Jewish Law. Rabbi Nissim is also a qualified
Sofer writing Mezuzot and Sifrei Torah. Himself of Sefardic
origin, he directs interested students in exploring
the tradition of the great Sefardic poskim. Rabbi Nissim
lives in Neve Yaacov, Jerusalem with his wife and children.
Rabbi
Moshe Pinder
 Rabbi
Pinder, born and raised in Scotland, studied at the
original Shapell College and has smicha from Machon
Harry Fishel. He was the Director of Jewish Education
in Glasgow for two years and currently studies in Kollel
Bayit Vegan. Rabbi Pinder's detailed knowledge of the
laws of kashrut and his informative shiurim give the
students a good foundation for building their own Jewish
homes.
Rabbi
David Sedley
 Originally from Wellington, New Zealand, Rabbi Sedley currently teaches at both Midreshet Rachel v‘Chaya and Yeshivat Darche Noam. After serving for four years as a rabbi in Scotland, he was rabbi of Beth Hamidrash Hagadol Synagogue in Leeds, England for another four years. Rabbi Sedley learned for several years in the David Shapell College/Yeshivat Darche Noam and in Yeshivat Hechal Torah in Jerusalem. He also has a Masters Degree in education from the Open University of Great Britain and a Post Graduate Diploma in adult education from Nottingham University. A guitarist, Rabbi Sedley has an undergraduate degree in the history and theory of music and in English literature, . In addition to his teaching at Darche Noam, he is writing and researching a new series of 'bread and butter' educational materials for Torahlab, which will provide sources for teachers and self-learners. Rabbi Sedley lives in Jerusalem with his wife and children.
Rabbi
Yehoshua Seidenfeld
 Rabbi
Yehoshua Seidenfeld, as director of Shapell's, is often
the first person students meet. Although dedicating
most of his time to the smooth and efficient running
of the yeshiva, his first love is giving classes in
Halacha and the teachings of Rav J.B. Soloveitchik zt"l.
Rav Yehoshua practiced as a corporate lawyer in Canada
for a few years before establishing a number of successful
entrepreneurial ventures including an independent newspaper,
a headhunting firm and a private college. After making
aliyah in 1994, Rabbi Seidenfeld spent 6 years studying
Halacha and teaching Gemara before receiving smicha
from Rav Zalman Nechemia Goldberg shlit"a. Rav Yehoshua
lives the Deracheha Darche Noam philosophy, moving comfortably
between the Dati Leumi, Charedi Leumi and Charedi communities.
He lives in Efrat with his wife, Rachel and six children.
Rabbi
Gidon Shoshan
 In
addition to teaching daily classes in Gemara and Jewish
Philosophy, Rabbi Gidon Shoshan serves as mashgiach
ruchani. In this capacity, he meets regularly with students,
ensuring that their experiences in yeshiva are comfortable
and productive. A product of both Yeshivat Hakotel and
Mir Yeshiva, Rabbi Shoshan later received semicha and
completed a Master’s in Secondary Education from Yeshiva
University. He also holds a BS in Business Management
from Touro College. Before joining the Darche Noam staff,
Rabbi Shoshan served as the founding Outreach Director
of the LINK Kollel in Los Angeles and lectured extensively
in a wide variety of venues. Rabbi Shoshan continues
to lecture widely and travels to meet students and alumni
on university campuses and in Jewish communities around
the United States.
Rabbi
Fyvel Shuster
 Rabbi
Fyvel Shuster, the newest member of our faculty, serves
as Menahel Ruchani – a combination of rebbe, guidance
counselor, friend, and mentor – of Yeshivat Darche Noam
/ Shapell’s. His varied educational and vocational background
– learning at Yeshivat Hakotel, Yeshivas Haim Berlin,
and with the Talner Rebbe, shlita, working in high-tech,
teaching at the Skokie Yeshiva and, for the last 11
years, in Machon Lev’s program for adult beginners –
makes him uniquely suited to help guide Shapell’s students
in their spiritual growth. His Monday afternoon shmuze
– a masterful weave of divrei Torah, good advice, mussar,
anecdotes, and humor - has already become a special
treat in our Beit Midrash. Through one-on-one discussions,
his mussar talks and hashkafa shiurim, he is helping
our students connect to Torah and the world of Torah.
Rav Shuster, his wife Leah, and their 5 children live
in Bayit Vegan, Jerusalem.
Rabbi
Elie Silverberg 
Rabbi Silverberg came to learn at
Yeshivat Darche Noam/David Shapell College at the age
of 27, and, after six years of intensive yeshiva study,
is the first alumnus to join the full-time faculty.
He is an inspiration to the students, as well as a reminder
that it is never too late to start learning. Born and
raised in Toronto in a religious-Zionist household,
he has a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University
of Toronto. He worked for an electric corporation in
Canada before coming to learn in Israel in 1984. His
teaching combines knowledge of the Gemara with philosophies
gleaned from engineering and mathematics. His unique
approach to teaching encourages his students' independence
and self-sufficiency, promoting productivity through
lively discussion and debate.
Rabbi
Shlomo Skinner
Rabbi Shlomo Skinner has recently
made the transition from talmid to staff member at Shapell's,
trying to share with others what he himself received.
He and his wife Lisa first came Shapell's and Midreshet
Rachel v'Chaya in 1989 for one year. They moved permanently
to Israel and Rav Shlomo’s been learning at the Yeshiva
since 1996. A pillar of our Beit Midrash, he advanced
in learning at Shapell's, eventually receiving smicha
from the Israeli Rabbinate and Hagaon Rav Zalman Nechemia
Goldberg. He now teaches Bekiut Gemara, Chumash and
directs the afternoon program. Rav Shlomo's rich background
includes four years in the U.S. Marines, a B.S. degree
in math from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, a M.S.
degree in statistics and a MBA from UC Davis which he
applied in his work as a financial analyst for the State
of Maryland Treasury. He and his wife live in the Nachlaot
neighborhood of Yerushalayim, and students enjoy frequenting
their Shabbat table.
Most
photos by Jared Bernstein |
