The Adult Education Committee of Congregation Bnai Yeshurun is proud to host Rabbi Dr. Ahron Adler as scholar-in-residence on Shabbat, Parshat Tetzaveh, February 19-20. Rav Adler will address the community three times throughout Shabbat, focusing upon the three components of his mission as rabbi, scholar and singer.
In his rabbinical capacity, Rabbi Adler has led communities in the United States, Israel and Europe. For the past 5½ years, he has been the rabbi of the Ohel Nechama Congregation in Jerusalem. While serving as rabbi in the religious zionist community of Neve Orot in Ramot Aleph, Rabbi Adler impressed his congregants to the extent that they wanted to “share” him with their families and friends in the U.S. and Europe. Thus began an active relationship with communities within the U.S. including Los Angeles, San Diego, St. Louis, Miami as well as Toronto.
In Europe, he has served as scholar-in-residence in Antwerp, London and Zurich. In his rabbinic role, Rabbi Adler’s mission is to convey contemporary messages of Torah combined with an understanding of the pulse of daily life in Israel as it relates to the Torah-observant Jew. Friday evening’s presentation will explore “The World of Minhag.”
In his scholarly role, Rabbi Adler earned a Ph.D. in the thought and teachings of the Rambam. He is a lecturer at Herzog College in Gush Etzion where he explores the interconnectivity between science and Mishnah in the thinking of the Rambam. His lectures are heavily embellished with the philosophy of Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik whom Adler had the privilege of studying under and serving as an assistant during his years at Yeshiva University. The Shabbat morning presentation at CBY will discuss “Science and the Rambam.”
His final hat, that of “singer,” has been in the making since Rabbi Adler was a fourth grade student at Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim in Brooklyn when he performed at a Purim chagiga. His beloved rebbe at the time was Rabbi Simcha Zissel Levovitz, brother-in-law of the epic Shlomo Carlebach. Noting the budding talent of his student “Arele,” Rabbi Levovitz often invited him to Shabbat meals where he would be treated to previews of melodies later to be recorded. The enchantment with Rav Shlomo continued throughout his career as did his talent in art and music. Rabbi Adler has served as president of Emunah College of Art and Technology as well as a lecturer in Jewish art and music at Bar Ilan University. At the Saturday night melave malka, entitled “Torat HaRav With Stories of Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik,” Rabbi Adler will intersperse the Rav’s insights into the meaning of tefila with the emotional renditions of tefila through the music of Shlomo Carlebach.
The “three hats” of Rabbi Adler will be well represented at CBY on Shabbat Parshat Tetzaveh. Rabbi Adler will also deliver the drasha at the Moroccan and Teen minyanim. For times and locations, please contact Clive Lipshitz at [email protected]. Rabbi Adler will be speaking Mincha time at Roemer on the topic of “Holy Shekel.”
By Pearl Markovitz
