Scholar in Residence

Rabbi Samy Soussan serves as the Associate Rabbi, as well as Hazzan of the Sephardic community in Houston, TX. Rabbi Soussan and his wife Mikhal, continuously dedicate themselves to look for creative means and ways to help grow and inspire the Sephardic community of Houston. In addition, he further pursues his passion of community building, by serving as the Director of Houston NCSY, where he works to connect and engage hundreds of Jewish youth through a variety of exciting classes and innovative programs.

Originally from Montreal, Canada, Rabbi Soussan is well known for his passion for connecting and inspiring the Jewish youth, teaching Hazzanut, and his love to share meaningful Torah with his congregation. Rabbi Soussan has rabbinic ordination from the OU, a BA in Talmudic law and lives in Houston, with his wife – a talented local educator – and their four awesome kids.

Professor Rechtschaffen is a Senior Lecturer of Laws at New York University, adjunct professor, and author of two books for Oxford University Press. He created and co-chaired a global policy forum at NYU whose faculty included world leaders, academics and thinkers. Alan uses his knowledge of policy, politics and economics to manage money at one of the worlds largest financial institutions.

Alan’s thoughts on world events appear in major publications and in broadcast media around the world. He has worked with Presidential campaigns, advised transition team members, and helped administrations.

​Appointed by President Bush to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, Alan also served as a commissioner level appointee to New York’s Campaign Finance Board and as a member of the New York State Real Estate Board. He served as a long time member of Manhattan’s Community Board 8 and has participated in important political activities since he first volunteered for Reagan-Bush ’84. In Manhattan, Alan created a motivational lecture series at The Fifth Avenue Synagogue weaving Torah concepts into discussions of world events and global policy.

Alan’s analysis of the global economic condition appears regularly in major publications of record around the world. He has been featured in Barron’s “Other Voices” column and frequently appears as a guest on CNBC, Bloomberg, and on FOX Business News. He also has been a featured guest on NPR as well as several other radio broadcasts.
Alan lives in New York City with his wife and children.

For nearly three years, until the end of October, 2019, Jason
Greenblatt served as Assistant to the President and Special
Representative for International Negotiations at the White House.
Jason was the Trump administration’s chief architect of the peace plan
between Israel and the Palestinians and Israel and its Arab neighbors.
According to the White House, Jason “was actively involved and
strongly encouraged the many dramatic changes that occurred over the
past three years in the relationship between Israel and the Arab
countries in the region.” The White House also stated that Jason
played “an important role in many of the Trump administration’s
decisions regarding Israel and the conflict, including the recognition
by President Trump of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the move of
the US Embassy to Jerusalem, the recognition by President Trump of
Israel’s sovereignty to the Golan Heights and many other decisions.”
During his time at the White House, Jason consistently defended Israel
in powerful speeches at the United Nations and on social media. Jason
played a crucial role in bolstering US-Israel relations over the past
three years and significantly re-oriented the discussion about the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Few Americans – and even fewer observant
Jews – have spent more time with the kings, princes, sheikhs, emirs,
prime ministers and presidents throughout the Middle East. Prior to
his service at the White House Jason was an Executive Vice President
and Chief Legal Officer for The Trump Organization where he spent
nearly two decades working with Donald Trump, Donald Trump, Jr.,
Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump.

Major General Yaacov Amidror followed his 36 year service in the IDF

with various high clearance positions within the Israeli Security forces including serving as National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of Israel and the Head of the National Security Council. Among other things Gen Amidror serves on many boards and is a published author of many papers and books and is currently the head of senior research at the JISS. We are honored to have him join us as a guest speaker this passover.

Based in Washington, D.C., Jeremy leads the China practice of a political consulting firm. Jeremy spends his days helping corporate and federal clients understand U.S. politics and China.

Ambassador Ron Prosor was the Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations. Amb. Prosor also served as the head of the Abba Eban Institute of International Diplomacy at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya (IDC) and a distinguished fellow at the Hudson Institute.

In his more than two decades with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Prosor carved out an international reputation as one of Israel’s most distinguished diplomats. Between serving as Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where his achievements included overseeing Israel’s 2005 disengagement from Gaza. Mr. Prosor also spent four years as Israel’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom and was instrumental in establishing diplomatic relations behind the Iron Curtain following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and served as the Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs at the Israeli Embassy in Washington.

As an officer in the Artillery Division of the IDF, Mr. Prosor attained the rank of Major and completed the IDF Battalion Commanders course. He holds a Master’s degree in Political Science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he graduated with distinction. He is a prolific writer featured in many well known publications and was awarded The Scholar Statesman award.

Royal Passover is honored to have such a distinguished guest joining us as a guest speaker for this years Chag.

Rabbi Samuel Frankel obtained his Masters degree in Social Work from New York University in 1978 and continued his education at Hunter College’s Post-Masters Program in Family Therapy. He was employed at Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services in Brooklyn, N.Y. for 18 years, where he was promoted to Director of Foster Care and Adoption Services, Director of Residential Treatment Programs and was their first Director of Ohel’s Camp Aishel program.

In 1998 he began his second career as a Rebbe at Yavneh Academy in Paramus, N.J. where is presently employed for over 20 years. He was promoted to the Director of Discipline and Dean of Students during his tenure there. Throughout this time Rabbi Frankel maintained his Private Practice in Individual and Family Therapy for over 30 years. He has integrated Mindfulness into his Private Practice to treat patients with a variety of issues including, PTSD, Anxiety Disorders, and Depression.

Most recently he began his lecture tours on Mindfulness on topics of:

Enhancing Your Freewill through Mindfulness,

How to Lose 30 Pounds in 3 Months through Mindful Eating,

How Our Mesorah Embraces Mindfulness, and

God is My Personal Trainer- How to Overcome Trauma.

He has lectured across the United States from New York and New Jersey to Las Vegas, Nevada, and Los Angeles, California, and lectured on cruises in the Caribbean to Alaska. Additionally, Rabbi Frankel has had numerous articles published in various local papers on topics related to parenting and Mindfulness.

Dr. Fried is the Medical Director at West Derm Center with over 25 years of dermatological and cosmetic experience. Dr. Fried graduated magna cum laude from Manhattan`s Touro College before earning his Medical Degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York.

He completed his general surgery internship at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and served a dermatology residency at New York Medical College in Valhalla. He worked as attending physician in the Emergency Room of both Jamaica Hospital and Bellevue Hospital in New York. He speaks English, Spanish and Hebrew.

Dr. Fried founded Westchester Dermatology Center the center for Cosmetic and General Dermatology in 1991 with offices Located in Westchester and the Bronx. He is board certified in dermatology and has special interest and expertise in cosmetic and laser surgery, varicose vein treatment and autologous fat transplantation and meso therapy (vitamin injection to dissolve subcutane-ous fat).

A dedicated researcher in his field, Dr. Fried has conducted numerous stidies on dermatological diseases and has done special investigative research on leprosy, wounds & burn healing. His work has been published in the Journal od Infectious Diseases Annals of Internal Medicine. He has spoken at national and international meetings.