Yitzchak Blau
American-Israeli rabbi
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Yitzchak Blau (Hebrew: יצחק בלאו) is an American–Israeli Modern Orthodox rabbi and rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Orayta in Jerusalem.[1][2] He is a contributor to and associate editor of Tradition, an Orthodox Jewish peer-reviewed academic journal.[3][4] He also teaches at Midreshet Lindenbaum in Jerusalem.[5][6] Blau is the son of Rabbi Yosef Blau, senior mashgiach ruchani at Yeshiva University, and grandson of Rabbi Pinchas Mordechai Teitz.[7]
- Yosef Blau (father)
- Rivkah Teitz (mother)
Yitzchak Blau יצחק בלאו | |
|---|---|
| Personal life | |
| Children | 4 |
| Parents |
|
| Education | Yeshivat Har Etzion, Yeshiva University |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Denomination | Modern Orthodox |
| Jewish leader | |
| Position | Rosh Yeshiva |
| Yeshiva | Yeshivat Orayta |
| Residence | Alon Shevut |
| Semikhah | Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary |
Biography
Blau, born in 1968 to Yosef and Rivkah Blau, is a descendant of Mordecai Yoffe, known as the Levush (לבוש).[7] He grew up in Washington Heights.[8]
After high school, Blau studied at Yeshivat Har Etzion in Alon Shvut under Aharon Lichtenstein and Yehuda Amital.[9] He then attended Yeshiva University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in English literature.[2][8] He has a master's degree in medieval Jewish history from the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies and semikhah from Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary.[1][10]
Blau taught at the Yeshivah of Flatbush High School for four years prior to making Aliyah.[8][10] After moving to Israel, he taught at Yeshivat HaMivtar for eleven years.[2][8] He also served as the rosh kollel of Yeshivat Shvilei Hatorah.[8][11]
Blau serves as rosh yeshiva at Yeshivat Orayta, which was established in 2008.[1][12] He also teaches at Midreshet Lindenbaum.[4][5]
On January 1, 2009, Blau published a book entitled Fresh Fruit & Vintage Wine: Ethics and Wisdom of the Aggada through KTAV Publishing House.[13] The book focuses on aggadic portions of the Talmud, attempting to present a perspective integrating the halakhic and aggadic portions of the text to arrive at novel insights.
Blau has published over thirty articles in various areas of Jewish studies.[4] He has also published over 200 Torah-related articles through the Virtual Beit Midrash of Yeshivat Har Etzion.[14] Blau is associate editor for Tradition,[3] and he has published articles in The Commentator.[15][16][17]
Personal
Blau is married to Noa Jeselsohn.[8] The Blaus reside in Alon Shevut and have four children.[2]