Yeshurun, the Institution
Working Together: People Who Serve the Yeshurun Community
Since its inception, Yeshurun has led the Jewish community in a visionary revival of Torah traditions, based on the vision of Rav Kook for renewal to follow on the heels of our return to the Land: "The old shall be renewed and the new shall be sanctified; together, they will become torches that illuminate Zion.”
Yeshurun, the Historical Landmark
The elegant building faces King George Street and dates back to British Mandate of the 1930s, with an unusual rounded fascade that attracts the eye. It's mentioned in Jerusalem tourist guidebooks, and it draws a regular stream of visitors.
But its historical impact extends far beyond Jerusalem architecture. The Yeshurun Central Synagogue has a long legacy that parallels the history of modern Jerusalem.
Founded in 1923 with the blessing of Rav Avraham Yitzhak Ha-Cohen Kook, the first Chief Rabbi of Israel, Yeshurun became known as the first flagship of religious Zionism.
In 1930, when news of the Hebron massacre reached the Jerusalem Jews, they gathered at Yeshurun to mourn and to hear the spirited response of Rav Kook, which strongly influenced both the British Mandatory government and the embryonic Israeli leadership.
In 1949, the Sephardi Chief Rabbi (Rabbi Ben-Tsion Uziel), a close associate of Rav Kook, stood in Yeshurun and called on the new Israeli government to ban non-kosher meat imports, again impacting the Ben Gurion administration.
In every decade since the establishment of modern Israel, the Synagogue has played a vital role in events that have impacted the Jewish State and the Zionist enterprise
Our commitment to building Israel's modern history with embedded Torah values remains strong, and our contributions continue to help guide the national consensus.
The generous support from donors around the world is what makes these achievements possible. For details on how you can impact the nation through Yeshurun, click here
National Precedents Set by Yeshurun
1923: Yeshurun creates the model of a "religious Zionist" congregation when it is founded with the blessing of Rav Kook, the spiritual father of religious Zionism. The congregation meets in temporary facilities until its permanent home on King George Street is finished (1936).
1934: Yeshurun makes a bold decision to design its permanent home in the modern International Bauhaus style, a departure from architectural tradition and a visual statement of the religious Zionist commitment expressed by Rav Kook, to "sanctify the new".
1944: Yeshurun sets an example for the nation in honoring Righteous Gentiles, by holding a memorial at the death of Orde Wingate, the British officer whose clandestine military training of the Jews provided the basis for the IDF. Israel's Chief Rabbis read Psalms and recite prayers for the devout Christian nicknamed "Ha-Yadid", the friend of Israel.
1945: Yeshurun conducts the first modern "Hakhel" ceremony to commemorate the closing of the Shmittah year (the seventh year of rest for the Land), reviving a custom that lay dormant for nearly 2000 years. The "Hakhel" becomes an established Shmittah tradition for Chief Rabbis and civic leaders in the State of Israel from that point on.
1966: Yeshurun hosts a seminal meeting led by two of the most prestigious religious academics in Israel, Professor Efraim Urbach and Professor Yeshayahu Leibowitz, who call for a modern halakhic outreach to the Israeli people. Their organization, "Tenuah L’Yahadut shel Torah – the Movement for Torah Judaism" remains in existence until 1975, and other outreach efforts soon sprout.
2004: Yeshurun celebrates 80 years of community service. The event is commemorated with festivities, as well as yet another bold Zionist declaration: Synagogue members visit Gush Katif residents to show solidarity, expressing opposition to the removal of all Jewish presence from the Gaza Strip.
Yeshurun Board of Management
Gedalia Schreiber:
Chairman;
Responsible for the Kollel and Torah Studies; Chairman of the Building Committee
Mordechai Priman:
Vice-Chairman;
Chairman of the Cultural Committee
Nissim Avitzur:
Chairman Charity Commitee
Tobias Berman:
Chairman of the Finance Committee
Feibisch Cramer:
Torah Learning in the Synagogue
Moshe Sabo:
Chairman The Synagogue Committee
Tony Sachs:
Treasurer
Yeshurun Staff
Cantor: Asher Hainowitz
Executive Director: Yissachar Pollack
Ritual Director: David Brager
Secretary: Channah Yavitz
Rabbis giving Hebrew Shiurim at Yeshurun
- Rabbi Yaacov Katz, who has been giving the Gemorah Shiur between Mincha and Ma'ariv for 54 years
- Rabbi David Friedman
- Rabbi Shmuel Herschler
- Rabbi Shimshon Segal
- Rabbi Avrham Kossman
- Rabbi Yishaya Steinberger
- Rabbi Chanan Kilav
Rabbis serving in the Berman English Educational Program
- Rabbi Moshe Gorelik
- Rabbi Shmuel Hirschler
Teachers of Shiurim for Women
- Mrs. Nechama Evan-Chen
- Rabbi Yair Lerner
- Rabbi Avraham Kossman
- Rabbi Shimshon Segal
Contact Us
Yeshurun Central Synagogue
P.O.Box 7018
44 King George Street
Jerusalem 91071
Tel: +972-2-624-3942
Fax: +972-2-622-4528
Email General Enquiries
yeshurun@yeshurun.org.il
Ritual Director
David Brager
davidb@yeshurun.org.il
Executive Director
Yissachar Pollack
Yissacharp@yeshurun.org.il