Yitzchak Berkovits

Yitzchak Shmuel Halevi Berkovits is an American-born Orthodox Jewish rabbi, rosh yeshiva, rosh kollel, and posek (arbiter of Jewish law) in Israel. In 16 years as Menahel Ruchani (spiritual director) of Yeshivas Aish HaTorah and halakha (Jewish law) lecturer at EYAHT, Aish HaTorah's College of Jewish Studies for Women, he built a reputation as a lucid orator on Jewish law and philosophical topics and a mentor to hundreds of English-speaking, baalei teshuva young men and women. In 2001, he founded The Jerusalem Kollel, a rabbinic ordination and training program which prepares students for kiruv (outreach) positions around the world. In 2019, he was appointed rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Aish HaTorah in Jerusalem. He also serves as rosh kollel of an international network of evening kollelim run by Linas HaTzedek: The Center for Jewish Values in Israel and the United States, which spreads the awareness of the laws of bein adam lechaveiro (mitzvot between man and his fellow man).

Rabbi Berkovits is considered the "unofficial posek" of the kiruv world. His ancestors on both his father's and mother's sides were Hasidic, including his paternal great-grandfather, Pinchos Zimetbaum, the av beth din of Grosswardein, and his great-uncle, dayan Yitzchok Yaakov Weiss.

Raised in Borough Park, Brooklyn which had a lack of Hasidic yeshivas at the time, Berkovits was enrolled at the non-Hasidic yeshiva Yeshiva Toras Emes Kaminetz. Weinberg's husband, Noah Weinberg, then appointed him menahel ruchani or spiritual director of Yeshivas Aish HaTorah in the Old City of Jerusalem. In 2019, the yeshiva had a student body of more than 600, plus drop-in visitors totaling close to 200,000 annually. Additionally, the organization has published nine volumes of Berkovits's writings on the laws of bein adam lechaveiro. He is also the Nasi of the international organisation Jewish Futures, a platform created to unite diverse educational organisations and initiatives, to ensure Jewish futures and Jewish continuity.

Halakhic expertise Berkovits is a leading authority on the laws of bein adam le'chavero, the Torah's guidelines for interpersonal relationships. He is well known for his expertise in the laws of lashon hara and is the co-author of Chofetz Chaim: A Lesson a Day (2 vol.). He has recorded thousands of taped lectures on a vast range of halakhic and Talmudic topics. He regularly answers she'eilos (halakhic queries) from around the world, addressing issues "from kashrus to geirus to halachic questions arising from alternative lifestyle issues". and this policy was adopted by Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman of Bnei Brak and the Belzer Rebbe. This effort has served to maintain reasonable rental prices for foreigners living in Jerusalem.