Faculty

Rabbi Haskel Lookstein has been Rabbi of KJ since 1959 and Principal of the Ramaz School since 1966. Rabbi Lookstein is a Professor of Homiletics at Yeshiva University, Vice President of the Beth Din of America, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Joint Distribution Committee. He is also a commissioner of the New York City Human Right Commission. He received his B.A. from Columbia College and earned his Ordination, Masters and Ph.D. from Yeshiva University.

Rabbi Meir Y. Soloveichik is Associate Rabbi at KJ. He is a graduate of Yeshiva College summa cum laude and received his ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary at Yeshiva University, where he was also a member of the Kollel Elyon. He is an Associate Fellow at the Shalem Center in Jerusalem, for whom he is currently working on a book about Judaism and Christianity. Rabbi Soloveichik studied philosophy of religion at Yale University's Divinity School and is currently a doctoral candidate in philosophy of religion at Princeton University.

Rabbi Elie Weinstock is Associate Rabbi at KJ, where he also serves as the Director of Education and Outreach, and custodian of our highly developed Beginners Program. He is also a member of the Talmud faculty at the Ramaz Middle School. A veteran of both formal and informal educational programs and a Yeshiva University graduate, he received Rabbinic ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary and a Masters in Jewish Philosophy from the Bernard Revel Graduate School.

Rabbi David Flatto, KJ’s Rabbinic Scholar and a member of the Judaic Studies Faculty of Ramaz, received his B.A. in Computer Science from Yeshiva College, his J.D. from Columbia Law School and his ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary.  Rabbi Flatto is pursuing a Ph.D. in Jewish Studies in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University.  He will also be serving as a visiting scholar at Cardozo Law School and an instructor in Jewish history at Yeshiva University this coming academic year.

Shilo Kramer is the Chazan for the KJ Beginners program, where he also teaches classes and assists in programming. Currently a student at Yeshiva University's Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, Shilo is in the process of applying to medical school. He is also a popular Bar Mitzvah tutor for the community’s children.

Sara Rosen has been with the KJ Beginners Program for more than ten years. Born in Jerusalem, she studied education at Beit Berl Teacher’s College and at Columbia University,  and has developed Phonetic Hebrew Decoding (PHD), an innovative learning system that is now used in schools throughout New York City. In addition to teaching Hebrew at KJ, Sara oversees the Hebrew Reading program at Rodeph Sholom Religious School as well as the Hebrew Resource room in their day school.

Rabbi Samuel Shor is the Director of Community and Leadership Development at Isralight.  "Rabbi Sam" is a popular teacher and lecturer in the New York Metropolitan area and mentors both emerging Rabbis and scores of Isralight alumni across North America. He received ordination from Kollel Agudath Achim.

Dr. Shera Aranoff Tuchman has been teaching at KJ, focusing on women in the Bible and Biblical interpretation, for over 13 years. Her years of research culminated in co-authorship of the book Passions of the Matriarchs. Dr. Aranoff Tuchman was recently chosen and interviewed on the CUNY TV series “Jewish Women in America,” hosted by Blanche Weisen Cook.

Rabbi Yossi Weiser received his ordination from the Mirrer Yeshiva in Brooklyn. He also has Masters degrees in Jewish History and Guidance Counseling. He is currently a member of the Judaic Studies faculty of the Ramaz Upper School, and is a noted adult educator in Jewish History, Philosophy, Political Science and Bible.