Yeshivat Torat Yosef Hamivtar

Rabbi Joel Zeff is the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Torat Yosef-Hamivtar. He holds a BA from UCLA, in Hebrew Language, an MS in Jewish History from Yeshiva University, and received Rabbinic Ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University. Rabbi Zeff served as the spiritual leader of the Westwood Kehilla Congregation in Los Angeles for seven years before moving to Israel in 1994. For the decade since making aliya he was Senior Lecturer at the David Shapell College of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. In 2007 Rabbi Zeff became Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Torat Yosef-Hamivtar, succeeding its founder, Rabbi Chaim Brovender. He is currently finishing a book on the philosophy of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, a favorite topic in his teaching.

Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Riskin Internationally renowned educator, speaker and author Rabbi Riskin attained rabbinical ordination at Yeshiva University from his mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, and his Ph.D. from New York University. His outstanding contributions to Israel and to world Jewry over the course of his career have made him one of the leading voices of today's Modern Orthodox world. Rabbi Riskin is especially renowned for his innovative educational and social action programs, which are based upon his unique vision of an authentic Judaism sensitive to every human being and responsive to all universal concerns. On the cornerstone of this philosophy, Rabbi Riskin founded and serves as Chancellor of Ohr Torah Stone Colleges and Graduate Programs, a network of groundbreaking institutions. A popular speaker, Rabbi Riskin has also published five books, scores of articles and monographs on Judaism and contemporary issues, as well as a weekly column which is syndicated in newspapers worldwide.

Rabbi Shuki Reich serves as the Rosh Kollel of the Joseph and Gwendolyn Straus Rabbinical Seminary's David Falk Kollel. Previously, Rav Shuki was previously the Rosh Yeshiva of OTS's Neveh Shmuel Yeshiva High School and spent two years as the Rosh Yeshiva at Shalhevet High School in Los Angeles. Rav Shuki also offers a Halacha shiur in Hebrew to the Yeshivat Torat Yosef-Hamivtar students, and is a popular teacher and lecturer in his home community of Efrat.




Rabbi Herzl Hefter is a graduate of Yeshivat University and Yeshivat Har Etzion. For 17 years he gave the semicha shiur at the Gruss Kollel of Yeshiva University in Jerusalem. He has also taught Talmud at Yeshivat Har Etzion, and at Yeshivat Mekor Chaim in Moscow. He has served as Rosh Kollel at the Torat Tzion Kollel in Cleveland, Ohio as well as the Director of the Bruriah Scholars Program at Midreshet Lindenbaum, in Jerusalem. Rabbi Hefter combines a passion for Lithuanian style Talmud study as well as Hassidut. His special interest is the thought of the Izhbitzer Rebbe (the Mei Hashiloach).


Rabbi Chanoch Waxman studied at Yeshiva University and at Yeshivat Har Etzion for many years. He has served as Rabbi of the synagogue attached to the Einstein Medical School and campus rabbi at Princeton University. Rabbi Waxman was Rosh Kollel at the Torah Mitzion Kollel in Chicago and taught advanced Talmud at Matan Institute in Jerusalem. Rabbi Waxman is a regular contributor to the Virtual Beit Midrash of Yeshivat Har Etzion where he writes a weekly shiur on Parshat Hashavuah.




Rabbi Daniel Raiser a graduate of the Joseph and Gwendolyn Straus Rabbinical Seminary, joined our faculty as a teacher of Halacha and Jewish Thought. In addition to his work here, Rabbi Reiser also teaches at Midreshet Moriah and is currently studying for his doctorate in Jewish thought at The Hebrew University.





Rabbi Dr. David Fink teaches Halacha to the Joseph and Gwendolyn Straus Rabbinical Seminary students, in addition to serving as an invaluable reference source to the entire yeshiva. Rabbi Fink holds a doctorate in linguistics and served as Professor of Jewish Education at the American University in Washington DC. He is an expert in many fields, including the interface between modern technology, medicine and Halacha.




Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell studied at Yeshivat Or Etzion, Yeshiva University, and most recently at Yeshivat Har Etzion where he completed his Rabbinic Ordination from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. Rabbi Snowbell has taught in various programs in Yeshivat Har Etzion. He is a regular contributor to KMTT - Yeshivat Har Etzion's audio broadcasting website.





Rabbi Yair Spitz is the Executive Director of the yeshiva. After studying is several Israeli yeshiva's and receiving rabbinical ordination, Rabbi Spitz served as rabbi of Baron Hirsch Congregation in Memphis, TN and director of Camp Darom, the largest Orthodox summer camp in southern United States. After returning to Israel Rabbi Spitz worked as a rabbi and administrator for LYA-Leadership Yeshiva Academy and The Koby Mandell Foundation.