Honored Guests
Rabbi – Dovid Gottlieb
is the Managing Director of Tzalash (www.tzalash.org), the leading organization dedicated to helping soldiers maintain their religious commitment and emotional well-being during their IDF service. He is also the rabbi of Kehillat HaEla, a growing community in the suburbs of Ramat Beit Shemesh. Additionally, Rabbi Gottlieb is a Ra”m at Yeshivat Har Etzion (Gush).
Prior to his aliyah to Israel in August, 2010, Rabbi Gottlieb served as rabbi of Congregation Shomrei Emunah, in Baltimore, MD.
Rabbi Gottlieb received his rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University, where he was also a member of their prestigious Wexner Kollel Elyon. In addition to other scholarly publications, he is most recently the author of Ve-Ha’Er Einenu, a four-volume collection (out of a planned five-volume series) of inspiring and thought-provoking essays on the weekly Torah portion which is distributed to soldiers throughout the IDF.
A highly regarded speaker and teacher, Rabbi Gottlieb has served as a Scholar in Residence for numerous communities in the United States, Canada, England, South Africa, and Israel. Additionally, since the start of the war in Gaza, he has been interviewed and profiled by some of the leading podcasts in the Jewish world, such as Inspiration for the Nation, Halacha Headlines and Behind
the Bima.
Nearly 2,000 of Rabbi Gottlieb’s classes and articles are available online at www.yutorah.org and etzion.org.il/en.
Rabbi Gottlieb is married to Ilana, the director of Midreshet AMIT, and they are blessed with four children and one grandchild
Rabbi – David Melamed
pursued his early Torah education at Yeshiva Toras Chaim in Miami. Following high school, he advanced his studies at Chofetz Chaim in Brooklyn and later in Jerusalem at Yeshivas Torah Ore and Pachad Yitzchak. His dedication to Jewish scholarship led him to spend several years in a Halacha kollel in Jerusalem, deepening his expertise in Jewish law. Additionally, he earned a BA in Talmud from Bar-Ilan University.
Currently, Rabbi Melamed serves as the Rabbi at the Breslev Learning Center in Aventura, Florida, where he continues to inspire and guide students in their Torah learning and spiritual growth.
Prof. – Alan Rechtschaffen
A private investor and sought – after advisor at the highest government levels. Prof. Rechtschaffen is a featured commentator on FOX, CNBC, and Bloomberg. Serving as a Presidential appointee
to a US Government-chartered think tank in Washington, he leads cryptocurrency and blockchain initiatives. Additionally, as a senior law lecturer at New York University and author of three books for Oxford University Press on Capital Markets, Alan brings his wealth of expertise to various platforms.
He has played a crucial role in advising Presidential administrations, campaigns, and transition teams on world events and policy formation. As a regular lecturer on world events in the context of Torah, Alan shares his personal perspectives over Passover, emphasizing that they do not reflect any affiliated institutions.
Howard Tzvi Friedman
Howard Tzvi Friedman is a private equity investor. He is also a Founding Partner of Lanx Management LLC, a hedge “fund of funds.” Mr. Friedman serves on the boards of Sinclair Broadcast Group (NASDAQ: SBGI), one of the largest television broadcast groups in the country, and of the Lightstone Value Plus REIT. He was the Co-Founder, Publisher & CEO of Watermark Press, Inc. (1986-1998) until its sale to Cendent Corp. From 2006-2010 Mr. Friedman served as President and then Chairman of the Board of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). In 2007 and in 2009, Washington Life Magazine listed Mr. Friedman as one of the 100 most powerful people in Washington. From 2010-2012 he served as the President of the American Israel Educational Foundation, the charitable arm of AIPAC. He has served as Chair of the Board of The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, President of the Baltimore Jewish Council, and as President of JTA – The Global News Service of the Jewish People. Mr. Friedman serves on a number of non-profit boards, among them Touro University System, Talmudical Academy, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center. He is Chairman of the Board of Beth Medrash Gevoah. Mr. Friedman is married to Judge Karen Chaya Friedman and has four children and four grandchildren.
Rabbi Berel Simpser
Rabbi Berel Simpser is a musmach of Yeshivah V’Kollel Ramach as well as a student at Yeshivas Rabbi Yitzchok Elchanon (Y.U.) and Ner Israel in Baltimore.
