Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yaakov Yitzchak Rudermanיעקב יצחק רודרמאן |
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| Religion | Judaism |
| Denomination | Orthodox Judaism |
| Alma mater | Slabodka Yeshiva, Lithuania |
| Personal | |
| Born | March 16, 1900 Daŭhinava, Russian Empire present-day Belarus |
| Died | July 11, 1987 (aged 87) Baltimore, Maryland |
| Spouse | Golda Feiga (née Kramer) |
| Children | Chana Weinberg |
| Parents |
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| Senior posting | |
| Successor | Rabbi Shmuel Yaakov Weinberg |
| Position | Rosh yeshiva |
| Yeshiva | Ner Yisroel |
| Began | 1933 |
| Ended | 1987 |
| Yahrtzeit | 14 Tammuz |
| Buried | 39°14′29″N 76°40′26″W / 39.241523°N 76.673917°W |
| Semicha | Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein |
Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman (born 1900, died 1987) was an important Jewish scholar and rabbi. He was born in Russia and later moved to America. He is famous for starting and leading Yeshivas Ner Yisroel in Baltimore. This school became one of the largest Jewish learning centers in America.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman was born in 1900 in a town called Daŭhinava. This area was part of the Russian Empire, but it is now in Belarus. His father, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Ruderman, was a rabbi there.
Young Yaakov studied at a famous Jewish school called Slabodka Yeshiva in Lithuania. He learned from very respected teachers there. One of his main teachers was Rabbi Moshe Mordechai Epstein. In 1926, Rabbi Ruderman received his semicha, which is like a special certificate that allows someone to be a rabbi.
A Difficult Time During War
During World War I, life became very hard. The Russian army forced many Jewish people to leave their homes near the Kovno fortress. Many rabbis and students, including Rabbi Ruderman, were scattered. Some were even forced to join the army.
Rabbi Ruderman joined a group of students and teachers who moved to a city called Kremenchug. While he was there, something scary happened. A group of people kidnapped him and demanded money for his release. They took him to his teacher, Rabbi Moshe Mordechai Epstein, who did not have the money they wanted. As the kidnappers were about to hurt Rabbi Ruderman, Rabbi Epstein ran outside and shouted for help. A crowd quickly gathered, and the kidnappers realized they couldn't succeed. They let Rabbi Ruderman go unharmed. He often told this story to his students years later.
Starting a New Path
In 1924, Rabbi Ruderman married Faiga Kramer. Her family was also a family of rabbis. In 1930, he moved to America and joined his father-in-law, Rabbi Sheftel Kramer, at his Jewish school in New Haven, Connecticut. A year later, in 1931, Rabbi Ruderman and his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio. He continued to teach at the school there.
Building a Great School in America
In 1933, Rabbi Ruderman moved to Baltimore. He was offered a job as a rabbi at a synagogue called Tiferes Yisroel Shul. He accepted the job, but only if he could open a new Jewish school using the synagogue's building.
He started his new school with just six students. He named it Ner Yisroel, which means "Lamp of Israel." He named it after Rabbi Yisrael Lipkin Salanter, who started a special Jewish movement. The school quickly grew, and Rabbi Ruderman invited other great rabbis to teach there.
Rabbi Ruderman led Ner Yisroel for 54 years. Even when he became legally blind as he got older, he still continued to teach and lead. He would hold books very close to his eyes to read. After he passed away, his son-in-law, Rabbi Shmuel Yaakov Weinberg, took over as the head of the school.
Rabbi Ruderman worked closely with his brother-in-law, Rabbi Herman N. Neuberger, who managed the school's finances. Together, they helped Ner Yisroel become one of the biggest Jewish schools in America. It has taught thousands of rabbis, teachers, and other learned Jewish people.
Beyond the school, Rabbi Ruderman was also involved in many important Jewish organizations. He was a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, a group of leading rabbis for Agudath Israel of America. He also led the Rabbinic Advisory Board of Torah Umesorah, an organization that supports Jewish education.
His Writings
Around 1926, Rabbi Ruderman published his main written work, called Avodas Levi. After he passed away, his students published several books based on his teachings. These books include:
- Sichos Levi (later Sichos Avodas Levi): This book shares his ethical insights based on the weekly Torah portion.
- Mas'as Levi: This book contains his lectures on Jewish law and other Talmudic insights.
- Shiurei Avodas Levi: This book includes his lectures on different sections of the Talmud.
Later Years and Legacy
Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman passed away on July 11, 1987. He was one of the last great leaders of Jewish schools who came to America from Lithuania in the early 1900s.
His son-in-law, Rabbi Weinberg, who was married to Rabbi Ruderman's only child, Chana, continued his work. Rabbi Weinberg led Ner Yisroel until his own passing in 1999. Rabbi Ruderman is buried in the United Hebrew Cemetery in Baltimore.
