Bnai Yeshurun, at 641 West Englewood Avenue in Teaneck, will be hosting Rabbi Dr. Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff for lectures throughout this Shabbat, August 6. On Shabbat morning he will speak about “The Blessings of a Sovereign Jewish State,” before Mincha on “Is There Pluralism in Halacha?” and finally, during seudah shlishit, about “Is There Pluralism in Hashkafa?” In addition, on Sunday, August 7, at 9:30 a.m., he will give a lecture called “The Role of Minhag and the Mistake of the Conservative and Neo-Conservative Movements.” Following that lecture he will be available for book signing of “Rakafot Aharon, Volume 3.”
Both rabbi and author, Rabbi Rakeffet is best known for “From Washington Avenue to Washington Street,” his scholarly memoir, and a two-volume book about Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, who was his teacher. Rabbi Rakeffet was formerly the rabbi of Congregation Beth Ephraim of Maplewood, NJ, and has taught at Jerusalem Torah College (BMT), Machon Gold, Michlalah and Midreshet Moriah in Israel. Now a professor of rabbinic literature at YU’s Gruss Kollel in Israel, Rabbi Rakeffet previously served in the IDF military rabbinate. In 1980, he also joined the Mossad on its secret Naiv operation, teaching Torah to Jews in the Soviet Union.
Following this chapter of his life, Rakeffet decided to help found Shvut Ami, which is an organization that works to reconnect unaffiliated Russian Jews to their Jewish lives. Bergenfield’s Rabbi Dovid Cofnas is executive director of American Friends of Shvut Ami and is available for further questions at 201-575-9080 or [email protected].
