Logo

24 Facts About Yaakov Weinberg

1.

Shmuel Yaakov Weinberg, known as Yaakov Weinberg was an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, Talmudist, and rosh yeshiva of Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore, Maryland, one of the major American non-Hasidic yeshivas.

2.

Yaakov Weinberg was the great-great-grandson of Rabbi Avraham of Slonim, author of Yesod HaAvodah and founder of the dynasty, and the grandson of Rabbi Noah Weinberg of Slonim and Tiberias, whom the first Slonimer Rebbe had sent to Palestine to establish a Torah community in the late 19th century.

3.

Yaakov Weinberg's and Hinda's third child, Yaakov, was born in 1923.

4.

Yaakov Weinberg was regarded as a top student and was assigned to weekend rabbinical duties at the age of 19.

5.

Yaakov Weinberg excelled in Talmudic scholarship, as a rabbinical advisor and in teaching ability.

6.

Yaakov Weinberg eventually succeeded his father-in-law as the main rosh yeshiva of Ner Israel yeshiva, but not before undertaking a number of other rosh yeshiva positions.

7.

In 1964, Yaakov Weinberg went to the Yeshivas Ner Yisroel of Toronto originally the Toronto branch of Ner Israel, where he served as dean until 1971.

8.

Yaakov Weinberg then returned to Baltimore but went on to serve for a short time as rosh yeshiva at the now defunct Kerem Yeshiva founded by his son, Rabbi Matis Weinberg, in Santa Clara, California.

9.

Yaakov Weinberg was regarded as a master logician, with broad knowledge and depth in all aspects of Jewish law and philosophy.

10.

Yaakov Weinberg was a sought-after counselor, involved in hundreds of private and public issues and concerns within the Jewish community.

11.

Yaakov Weinberg often took the lead in "question and answer" sessions at Torah Umesorah conventions where hundreds of rabbis would seek his counsel and many of these teachings have been published, as in Rav Yaakov Weinberg Talks About Chinuch.

12.

Yaakov Weinberg had a close relationship with his brother, Noah Yaakov Weinberg, and was held in high esteem by the Aish HaTorah yeshiva for baalei teshuva that the latter founded.

13.

Yaakov Weinberg was involved with a variety of communities, including the Iranian Jewish community for which Ner Yisroel developed a rabbinic training program.

14.

Yaakov Weinberg was a member of the rabbinical board of Torah Umesorah - National Society for Hebrew Day Schools and was a frequent scholar in residence at Torah Umesorah annual conventions and retreats.

15.

Yaakov Weinberg's teachings were deemed to be significant enough to have been printed in Torah Umesorah publications, such as in a book published in 1975 titled Building Jewish Ethical Character where a chapter is devoted to Weinberg's lectures on "Mitzvos as 'Springboards' for Ethical behavior".

16.

Yaakov Weinberg guarded his position in AJOP and ensured that his allies, such as Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald and himself the founder of another multimillion-dollar AVI Chai Foundation project the National Jewish Outreach Program, remained in its leadership positions.

17.

Many of Yaakov Weinberg's teachings have been published in essay and book form in Orthodox publications.

18.

Yaakov Weinberg's funeral was held at the Ner Israel yeshiva.

19.

Yaakov Weinberg was succeeded as the senior rosh yeshiva of Ner Israel yeshiva by Rabbi Kulefsky, Aharon Feldman took his place after a short time.

20.

Unlike Yaakov Weinberg, Feldman was accepted and serves as a full member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of the American Agudath Israel.

21.

Yaakov Weinberg is presently an international lecturer on Judaism and an author of a number of Torah works.

22.

Yaakov Weinberg was married to the daughter of Rabbi Maurice Lamm and had served in a number of rabbinical posts, including that of rabbi of the prestigious Lincoln Square Synagogue in Manhattan.

23.

Yesh Atid MK Rabbi Dov Lipman received semicha from Yaakov Weinberg and has often cited him.

24.

Rabbi Yochanan Zweig was a close student of Yaakov Weinberg and received Semicha from him as well.