On Thursday, June 15, Daniel Geretz was ordained as a rabbi in a semicha (ordination) ceremony by Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School, held at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale—The Bayit in Riverdale, New York. Daniel is the son of Mrs. Rachel and Mr. Jack Geretz of St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

Daniel Geretz grew up in St. Louis Park and spent his high school years learning at the Fasman Yeshiva High School (“Skokie” Yeshiva.) He earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science at the University of Minnesota, and upon graduation moved to New Jersey to begin his professional career as director of operations for a Monmouth County-based business. In a lay leadership role, Daniel served as financial vice president and president of Congregation Ahavas Achim in Highland Park. Daniel was previously awarded yoreh yoreh semicha by YPS (Yeshiva Pirchei Shoshanim) in 2009. Since that time, he has taught weekly shiurim in a number of communities and, more recently, became the founding rabbi of Maayan, an Orthodox minyan in West Orange. During his time at YCT, Daniel has continued to serve as the rabbi of Maayan, and worked as a pastoral care intern at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston. Daniel and his wife, Jennifer, and their children live in West Orange. Daniel hopes to continue his training to become a certified chaplain and eventually work as a hospital chaplain in Israel.

The full list of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School’s S. Daniel Abraham Semikhah Fellows is as follows: Benjamin Greenfield, Daniel Blumenthal Hoffman, Dan Margulies, Samuel Pearlson, Tzachi Posner, Abe Schacter-Gampel, Avram Schwartz, Gabriel Kretzmer Seed, Ezra Seligsohn, Eli Yoggev, Amir Zinkow, Rabbi Daniel Geretz (Semikha for Rabbinic Professionals).

This year’s graduates will begin positions as pulpit rabbis, hospital chaplains and Judaic studies educators in the following cities: Baltimore; Memphis; New York; Oakland, CA; Richmond; Riverdale; West Orange; St. Louis and Stamford.