Moshe Weinberger

Rabbi Moshe Weinberger
Speaking in June 2016
Personal
Born	1957 Queens, New York
Religion	Judaism
Nationality	United States
Alma mater	M.A. Jewish philosophy, Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, Yeshiva University M.A. educational administration, Columbia University Teachers College
Position	Rabbi
Synagogue	Congregation Aish Kodesh
Began	1992
Other	Mashpia (effectively a Mashgiach ruchani), Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary
Semicha	Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary

Moshe Weinberger is an American Hasidic rabbi, outreach educator, author, translator, and speaker. He is the founding spiritual leader of the Contemporary Chassidic Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, New York, and Mashpia/mashgiach ruchani (spiritual supervisor) at Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS). Considered the "senior spokesman" of the Neo-Hasidic movement in Modern Orthodoxy,^[1] he has recorded more than 4000 lectures on Hasidic thought and philosophy.

Early life and education[]

Moshe Weinberger grew up in a Modern Orthodox home in Queens, New York.^[2][3] His father, Mordechai Aryeh Yosef "Martin" Weinberger (March 24, 1923 - February 10, 2020), and his mother, were both Holocaust survivors from Munkacs and Ungvar,^[2] and his grandparents were Belzer Hasidim.^[3] He began studying Hasidic works after his Bar Mitzvah.^[4]

Although he originally planned a career in law, he discontinued his law studies to train for the rabbinate, receiving rabbinic ordination from RIETS, where he was a student of Rabbi Dovid Lifshitz and Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik.^[5] He also studied at Yeshivat Sh'or Yoshuv.^[6] He earned master's degrees in Jewish philosophy from the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies at Yeshiva University, and in educational administration from Columbia University Teachers College.^[7]

Early career[]

Weinberger began his career as a rebbi (teacher) at a yeshiva in Far Rockaway. He taught for two decades at Ezra Academy, a Jewish day school in Queens, and also served as a mashgiach ruchani for N'vei Tzion of Queens.^[8][6]

Congregation Aish Kodesh[]

In December 1992 Weinberger became the first rabbi of Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, New York. He named the synagogue after Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, the Piaseczna Rav and author of the work (Holy Fire), who was a leading Polish Hasidic rabbi in prewar Europe.^[4][10] Noting that religious Jews may follow the letter of the law without feeling its inner joy or a personal connection with God, Weinberger preaches the tenets of Hasidism to rekindle excitement and joy in Jewish observance.^[1] He leads the congregation in song and dance after prayer services,^[9] conducts tishen, officiates at an annual hillula celebration on the yahrtzeit of the Piaseczna Rav and on Lag BaOmer, which each draw more than 1,000 attendees,^[2] and takes congregants on pilgrimages to kivrei tzaddikim (graves of tzadikim) in Ukraine and Israel. The synagogue building itself is modeled after a Polish Hasidic shtiebel.^[11] Congregation Aish Kodesh has been called a "phenomenon" and a "revolution" in the Modern Orthodox community of Long Island.^[12][13]

In 2013 Weinberger was appointed mashgiach ruchani (spiritual supervisor) at Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, where he presents weekly classes in Hasidic thought and philosophy, conducts a monthly farbrengen (Hasidic gathering), and spends Shabbat on campus several times a year.^[1][7] Although he is considered the "senior spokesman" of the Neo-Hasidic movement, he dislikes the title.^[1][14]

Weinberger has been noted as "one of this generation's leading teachers of Chassidus".^[12] His teachings derive from a wide range of Hasidic sources, including the Baal Shem Tov, Ramchal, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, Chabad, and Izbica, Peshischa as well as from the Vilna Gaon, Rabbi Tzadok Hakohen, and Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, among others.^[12][14] He also teaches works that were previously unavailable to the English-speaking public, such as the works of the Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh.^[13][15] He has recorded over 3,500 lectures on Hasidic thought and philosophy.^[14]

Works[]

In the 1980s and 1990s Weinberger wrote articles on issues pertaining to Modern Orthodox practice and baalei teshuva (Orthodox Jewish returnees to the faith). He was a frequent contributor to Jewish Action, published by the Orthodox Union, and the Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society, published by the Rabbi Jacob Joseph School. In 1990 he authored the book Jewish Outreach: Halakhic Perspectives, on halakhic issues pertaining to Orthodox Jewish outreach.^[16]

Since 2011, he has produced four volumes of English translation and commentary on the Hebrew sefer Oros HaTeshuva (The Lights of Repentance) by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, published under the title Song of Teshuva. In 2015 a collection of his Torah discourses at the annual hillula of the Piaseczna Rav at Congregation Aish Kodesh was published under the title Warmed by the Fire of the Aish Kodesh.^[2][10]

Personal[]

Weinberger wears full Hasidic levush (dress), including beard and peyos,^[17] Hasidic-style jacket and black hat on weekdays, and shtreimel and bekishe on Shabbat.

Bibliography[]

Books[]

• Weinberger, Moshe (2015). Warmed by the Fire of the Aish Kodesh: Torah from the Hilulas of Reb Kalonymus Kalman Shapira of Piaseczna. ISBN 978-1680250220.
• Jewish Outreach: Halakhic Perspectives. KTAV. 1990. ISBN 0-88125-355-3.
• Song of Teshuvah: A Commentary on Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook's Oros Hateshuvah. 4. Urim Publications. 2015. ISBN 978-9655242157.
• Song of Teshuva: A Commentary on Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook's Oros Hateshuvah. 3. Urim Publications. 2014. ISBN 978-9655241617.
• Song of Teshuva: Commentary on Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook's Oros Hateshuvah, Parts 8-10. 2. Urim Publications. 2012. ISBN 978-9655241259.
• Song of Teshuva: A Commentary on Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook's Oros Hateshuvah. 1. Penina Press. 2011. ISBN 978-1936068241.

Selected articles[]

• "'Just One Thing is Missing: The Soul'". Klal Perspectives. Spring 2012.
• "Judaism: 'Talking' Points". Israel National News. 28 December 2004.
• "A Modern Experiment in Chassidus: A Long Island congregation fashions its own foray into Chassidism" (PDF). Jewish Action. 1999.
• "Beyond the River". Jewish Action. Fall 1996.
• "Prayer: Neglected Paths and Forgotten Longings". Jewish Action. Fall 1990.
• "Keeping up with the Katz's". Jewish Action. 48 (3): 10–19. 1988.
• "The Baal Teshuva and the Jewish Community: Re-entry Problems". Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society. Fall 1987.
• "Teaching Torah to Women" (PDF). Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society (9): 19–52. 1985.

References[]

Notes[]

Sources[]

• Ferziger, Adam S. (2015). Beyond Sectarianism: The Realignment of American Orthodox Judaism. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978-0814339541.
• Weinberger, Moshe (1999). "A Modern Experiment in Chassidus: A Long Island congregation fashions its own foray into Chassidism" (PDF). Jewish Action. Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America.

External links[]

• Aish Kodesh Homepage
• Rabbi Moshe Weinberger audio lectures at yutorah.org
• Rabbi Moshe Weinberger audio lectures at Torah Downloads
• "Video: The Story of Rav Moshe Weinberger and Aish Kodesh" March 1, 2016
• "Video Of Interest: Rav Moshe Weinberger Leads Group From 'Aish Kodesh' to Meron" Yeshiva World News, June 9, 2015