Below is a list of this year’s S. Daniel Abraham Semikha Fellows from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, an Open Orthodox rabbinical school based in Riverdale, NY:
David Fried of Plainview, NY, completed internships at Congregation Shaarei Tefillah in Newton, MA, and SAR High School in Riverdale, NY. David holds an MS in Applied Sciences and has passed the first of six exams toward Israeli Rabbanut ordination. David looks forward to teaching high school students.
Bradley Hercman of Great Neck, NY, completed internships at Binghamton and Hunter College Hillels, and the Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life at NYU. Bradley is pursuing a PsyD at Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University.
Noah Leavitt, of New York City, interned at the Jewish Center in Manhattan, Congregation Bais Abraham in St. Louis, and the Bronfman Center at NYU. A Tikvah Rabbinical Fellow, Noah also earned an MA in Jewish Philosophy at Yeshiva University. Noah looks forward to serving in a pulpit.
Aaron Lerner, a Texas native, completed internships at The Abraham Joshua Heschel High School, Hunter College Hillel, and worked as a Jewish Educator at a JCC camp. Aaron, a Wexner Graduate Fellow, is the Jim Joseph Senior Jewish Educator at the University of California at Los Angeles Hillel.
Jordan Soffer (YCT ’16) learns with Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz (YCT ’10) and Rabbi Eytan Yammer (YCT ’11) in the Beit Midrash.
Aaron Potek, a Saint Louis Park, MN, native, has worked at the Nesiya Institute in Israel, Impact and Genesis in Boston, and Moriah College in Sydney and has participated in a variety of interfaith programming. He interned at Beth Israel Congregation in New Orleans, LA, and at Hunter College and Harvard University Hillels. Aaron will become the Campus Rabbi of the Fiedler Hillel at Northwestern University.
Born in London, raised in Paris, Brachyahu Schonthal attended Chabad schools. At YCT, Brachyahu spent time in the Norwich and West Hartford, CT, communities. He is fluent in English, French, Hebrew and Yiddish, and looks forward to serving a community abroad.
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