Yitzchak Blau (Hebrew: יצחק בלאו) is an American–Israeli Modern Orthodox rabbi and Rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Orayta in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem.[1][2] He is an author and associate editor of Tradition.[3][4] He also teaches at Midreshet Lindenbaum in Jerusalem.[5][6] Blau is the son of Rabbi Yosef Blau, senior mashgiach ruchani at Yeshiva University, and grandson of Rabbi Mordechai Pinchas Teitz.[7]

Yitzchak Blau
Personal life
NationalityAmerican-Israeli
Children4
Parents
Alma materYeshivat Har Etzion, Yeshiva University
Religious life
ReligionJudaism
DenominationModern Orthodox

Biography

edit

Blau was born in 1968 to Yosef Blau[7] and Rivkah Teitz Blau, daughter of Mordechai Pinchas Teitz, himself a descendant of Mordechai Yoffe, the Levush. He grew up in Washington Heights.[8]

After high school, Blau studied at Yeshivat Har Etzion in Alon Shevut under Aharon Lichtenstein and Yehuda Amital.[9] He then attended Yeshiva University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in English literature.[2][8] He has a Master's in Medieval Jewish History from the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies and Semikha from Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary.[1][10]

Blau taught at the Yeshiva of Flatbush High School for four years prior to making Aliyah.[8][10] After moving to Israel, he taught at Yeshivat HaMivtar for eleven years.[2][8] He also served as the Rosh Kollel at Yeshivat Shvilei Hatorah.[8][11]

Blau serves as Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshivat Orayta, which was established in 2008.[1][12] He also teaches at Midreshet Lindenbaum.[4][5]

On January 1, 2009, Blau published a book titled, Fresh Fruit & Vintage Wine: Ethics and Wisdom of the Aggada through KTAV Publishing House.[13] The book focuses on aggadic portions of the Talmud, attempting to present a perspective which integrates the halachic and aggadic portions in order to arrive at novel insights.

Blau has published over thirty articles in various areas of Jewish studies.[4] He has also written over 200 Torah articles published on the Virtual Beit Midrash of Yeshivat Har Etzion.[14] Blau is associate editor for Tradition,[3] and has published articles in The Commentator.[15][16][17]

Personal

edit

Blau is married to Noa Jeselsohn.[8] The Blau's reside in Alon Shevut and have four children.[2]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c "Rabbi Yitzchak Blau". www.orayta.org. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  2. ^ a b c d "Rabbi Yitzchak Blau". World Mizrachi. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  3. ^ a b "Masthead". Tradition Online. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  4. ^ a b c "Rabbi Yitzchak Blau". The Tikvah Fund. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  5. ^ a b "Rav Yitzchak Blau". Midreshet Lindenbaum. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  6. ^ "Yitzchak Blau, Author at Torah Musings". Torah Musings. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  7. ^ a b Rahmafar, Gaby (2022-03-28). "Overseeing Generations of Growth: Rabbi Yosef Blau's Historic Career at YU". The Commentator. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "Scholar in residence at UOS". jhvonline.com. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  9. ^ "Rav Yitzchak Blau | Yeshivat Har Etzion". etzion.org.il. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  10. ^ a b Staff, JLNJ (2022-03-10). "Congregation Agudath Sholom to Host Rabbi Yitzchak Blau on Sunday". The Jewish Link. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  11. ^ www.haretzion.org https://www.haretzion.org/sfarim.htm. Retrieved 2024-03-21. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ^ Eisenberg, Malka (2013-11-13). "From Jerusalem's heart Rav Binny visits to rejuvenate and recruit". The Jewish Star. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  13. ^ Blau, Yitzchak (2009). Fresh fruit & vintage wine: the ethics and wisdom of the Aggada. Jersey City, NJ: KTAV Pub. House. ISBN 978-1-60280-008-3. OCLC 436309914.
  14. ^ "Rav Yitzchak Blau | Yeshivat Har Etzion". etzion.org.il. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  15. ^ "Rabbi Yitzchak Blau". The Commentator. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  16. ^ "Rabbinic alumnus criticizes YU English department for neglecting Western canon". Jewish News Syndicate. 21 February 2023.
  17. ^ "Mammon In Light of Torah". The Commentator. 2022-05-04. Retrieved 2024-03-21.