Valley Beit Midrash has announced a new executive director for the coming year. Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz recently arrived in the Valley to begin his tenure at the 6-year-old educational collaborative, replacing Rabbi Darren Kleinberg, who moved to California. Though only 31 years old, Rabbi Yanklowitz has been included in the rankings of America’s Top 50 Rabbis from the Newsweek magazine/ Daily Beast website for the last two years. He is a co- founder and president of the social justice organization Uri L’Tzedek and is well-respected as a prominent contemporary Orthodox innovator. He has received three rabbinic ordinations as well as a doctorate degree from Columbia University.
“We were blown away by his resume,” declares Stan Hammerman, chair of the Beit Midrash board of directors. “He’s a real dynamo who will continue to move Valley Beit Midrash forward.” The author of Jewish Ethics & Social Justice: A Guide for the 21st Century, Yanklowitz emailed from Jerusalem this past June that he is “… thrilled to be leading the Valley Beit Midrash to collaborate to bring the community together for the benefit of all. Now, when people are seeking meaning and connectedness more than ever, is a crucial time to demonstrate the relevancy of Jewish wisdom to our everyday lives. I feel deeply privileged to be a part of this collective journey!”
Valley Beit Midrash partners with a number of congregations throughout the Valley, with offices housed at Temple Chai. 602-330-2335, valleybeitmidrash.org.
