Ezra (Ronnie) Labaton (July 21, 1950 – December 4, 2013) was an American
Modern Orthodox
Modern may refer to:
History
*Modern history
** Early Modern period
** Late Modern period
*** 18th century
*** 19th century
*** 20th century
** Contemporary history
* Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century
Philosoph ...
rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as '' semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form o ...
and
Jewish philosopher
Jewish philosophy () includes all philosophy carried out by Jews, or in relation to the religion of Judaism. Until modern ''Haskalah'' (Jewish Enlightenment) and Jewish emancipation, Jewish philosophy was preoccupied with attempts to reconcile ...
. He was a descendant of the
Sephardi Jews.
About Rabbi Labaton, RabbiLabaton.com.
Heritage
Ezra Ronnie Labaton was born on July 21, 1950, in
Brooklyn. His ancestry was of
Sephardic Jewry, specifically
Syrian Jews
Syrian Jews ( he, יהודי סוריה ''Yehudey Surya'', ar, الْيَهُود السُّورِيُّون ''al-Yahūd as-Sūriyyūn'', colloquially called SYs in the United States) are Jews who lived in the region of the modern state of Syri ...
. He grew up in the
Syrian Jewish Community of New York.
Early years and Education
Labaton was educated at Magen David Yeshiva, an elementary
yeshiva, and
Yeshiva of Flatbush High School.
He attended
Yeshiva University and
Brandeis University.
During his years in
Yeshiva University and throughout the rest of his life, Ezra was a student of
Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik ('the Rav').
Philosophy and Works
Phd Thesis
The Rabbi's PhD Thesis, titled "A Comprehensive Analysis of Rabenu Abraham Maimuni’s Biblical Commentary" was submitted in 2012 to
Brandeis University where he was awarded his
PhD PHD or PhD may refer to:
* Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification
Entertainment
* '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series
* ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic
* Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group
** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...
.
Congregation Magen David of West Deal
Rabbi Labaton served as the Head Rabbi of Congregation Magen David of West Deal from 1982 until his passing in 2013. He was the first full-time Rabbi hired by the synagogue, which was founded by Joseph M. Betesh shortly before.
Other Affiliations
Rabbinical Councils
*Sephardic Rabbinical Council
*
Halachic Organ Donor Society (HODS)
*Jersey Shore Orthodox Rabbinate (JSOR)
International
In 1975, while still a graduate student, Rabbi Ezra and his wife Emily Friedman went to South Africa where they conducted seminars for Jewish children. In 1976, Rabbi Ezra and his wife worked to gather critical information on behalf of Soviet Jews in Russia.
Illness
The Rabbi was diagnosed in 1999 with Colon Cancer. He would fight through many cycles of treatment & recurrence as the disease spread, before ultimately passing away in 2013 of advanced lung cancer. In 2004, after recovering from his third recurrence, The Rabbi cited his illness & treatments as having helped him excel in the pastoral aspect of his role as Rabbi. He said it allowed him to empathize and share with other sick people, in a way that he never before was able to. As part of his recovery, the Rabbi became an avid runner, as he ran 5 miles each night, as often as 5 nights per week.
Current News
A number of the Rabbi's students have set up and maintai
RabbiLabaton.com to help perpetuate his legacy through his teachings. The site contains hundreds of audio lectures, tributes, and other notes from his archives. They are also working to archive the contents of the Rabbi's personal library, which include thousands of titles of Jewish Academia, as well as his personal archives of speeches and lecture notes.
Works
A Comprehensive Analysis of Rabenu Abraham Maimuni’s Biblical Commentary: A Dissertation
References
External links
RabbiLabaton.com"In Memoriam: Rabbi Ezra Labaton" by Rabbi Marc D. AngelA Comprehensive Analysis of Rabenu Abraham Maimuni’s Biblical Commentary: A Dissertation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Labaton, Ezra
1950 births
2013 deaths
American Orthodox rabbis
Brandeis University alumni
Jewish philosophers
Religious leaders from Brooklyn
Yeshiva University alumni