A large and enthusiastic crowd of over 300 people gathered at the Chabad House at Rutgers-New Brunswick on Sunday night, May 19 for the Cong. Ohr Torah of Edison (OT) annual dinner, which served to inaugurate Rabbi Sariel and Dr. Shoshi Malitzky as the rabbi and rebbetzin of the shul.

Shul President Dr. Arkady Border stated that Rabbi Malitzky became the full-time mora d’atra of OT in September 2023. This followed a seven-year period as OT’s assistant rabbi under the tutelage and guidance of their current rabbi emeritus, Rabbi Yaakov Luban.

Rabbi Malitzky received semicha at Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, where he was in the Wexner Smicha Honors program. He then joined the Judaic studies faculty at Torah Academy of Bergen County (TABC), where he worked for 10 years, teaching Gemara and Mishna at all grade levels and serving as the director of recruitment and 10th grade dean. During his final year at TABC, he began serving as Ohr Torah’s assistant rabbi, and then moved into similar roles at JEC in Elizabeth, where he remained for six years. In addition, he was the founder and director of Camp Slapshots, a summer sports camp.

Ohr Torah is equally blessed to call Dr. Malitzky the rebbetzin of their shul. Together, the Malitzkys exude warmth and caring as intrinsic components of their approach to spiritual leadership. Along with their children Elisheva, Yechiel, Moshe, Yehuda, Devora and Leba, they are frequent, gracious hosts and are a constant presence at shul and community events.

In honor of the occasion, OT was pleased to welcome Rabbi Shmuel Wagner from Israel. Rabbi Wagner served as Rabbi Malitzky’s rebbe from 1998-2000 when he studied at Yeshiva Ohr Yerushalayim. Rabbi Malitzky told The Jewish Link that he considered Rabbi Wagner his rav to this day and is grateful for his guidance.

Harry Glazer is the Middlesex County Editor of The Jewish Link. He can be reached at [email protected] and he welcomes feedback. He also loves reporting about shul dinners.