Hershel Schachter was born on July 28,1941 and is an American Orthodox rabbi, posek, and rosh yeshiva at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, part of Yeshiva University in New York City.
17 Facts About Hershel Schachter
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Hershel Schachter was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania to Melech Schachter, a rosh yeshiva at Yeshiva University.
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Hershel Schachter became an assistant to Joseph Ber Soloveitchik at the age of 22.
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Hershel Schachter is a halakhic advisor to the kashrut division of the Orthodox Union.
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Hershel Schachter is considered to be amongst the foremost posekim in today's Jewish Modern Orthodox community.
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Hershel Schachter served a pivotal role during the COVID-19 pandemic, publishing responsa that guided and advised Jews in their observance of halakha during an unprecedented time.
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Hershel Schachter's responsa are noted for being "broad and well-sourced" in addressing various issues that Jews were facing at the time, primarily due to quarantine and other preventative measures.
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Hershel Schachter endorsed proper precautions and measures to protect people and those around them from catching the disease, while advising Jews how to adjust their lives to these precautions.
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Hershel Schachter believes that the living status of a brain dead individual is a safek, and thus requires that all decisions be made with the same stringencies applied to all cases where life-and-death is in doubt.
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In monetary law and taxation, Hershel Schachter believes that a graduated system of income taxes is "fair and reasonable" as they provide various necessary services to "take care of" fellow citizens.
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Hershel Schachter holds that a woman is not allowed to serve as the president of a synagogue unless there is absolutely no other choice.
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Hershel Schachter is very supportive of using tekhelet on tzitzit and has developed his own tie which is widely used.
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Hershel Schachter did express concern that before going to the authorities, one should make sure that a potential abuse victim is credible by referring him to a competent rabbi or psychologist.
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Hershel Schachter cited concerns that if the child's story was a fabrication, it could result in a Jew being wrongly incarcerated.
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Hershel Schachter has been condemned for his use of the term shvartze : "The recent use of a derogatory racial term and negative characterizations of African-Americans and Muslims, by a member of the faculty, are inappropriate, offensive, and do not represent the values and mission of Yeshiva University", a YU spokesman stated.
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Hershel Schachter is endorsed by the Organization for the Resolution of Agunot, a non-profit organization that advocates for the elimination of abuse from the Jewish divorce process by, among other things, organizing public protests to compel husbands to grant their wives gittin.
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Hershel Schachter has written more than 200 articles, in both Hebrew and English, for scholarly Torah publications such as HaPardes, HaDarom, Beit Yitzchak, and Or Hamizrach.