Moshe Kletenik is an American
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 ...
.
Biography
He was born in
Chicago in 1954. His parents are Rabbi Shya and
Rochelle Kletenik.
After studying in the
Hebrew Theological College and Yeshivas Brisk of Chicago, he received "Yoreh Yoreh" ''
semicha'' from Rabbi
Ahron Soloveichik
Ahron (Aaron) Soloveichik ( he, אהרן סולובייצ'יק; May 1, 1917 – October 4, 2001) was a renowned Orthodox ''rosh yeshiva'', and scholar of Talmud and ''halakha''.
Biography
The youngest of five children, Rabbi Ahron Soloveichik was ...
. Kletenik received ''semicha'' in the areas of
gittin and Even Ha'ezer and "Yadin Yadin"
semicha from Rabbi
Gedalia Dov Schwartz in 2004 and 2009 respectively.
He has served as a congregational rabbi, at Shaare Torah Congregation of Pittsburgh in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and in Seattle at
Bikur Cholim Machzikay Hadath Congregation from 1994 until June 2013. He is currently the ''
Av Beth Din
The ''av beit din'' ( ''ʾabh bêth dîn'', "chief of the court" or "chief justice"), also spelled ''av beis din'' or ''abh beth din'' and abbreviated ABD (), was the second-highest-ranking member of the Sanhedrin during the Second Temple period, ...
'' and ''Mesader Gittin'' for the Vaad HaRabbanim of Greater Seattle.
Kletenik was President of the
Rabbinical Council of America and a member of the Faith Advisory Board to Governor
Christine Gregoire of Washington State. He has written extensively on contemporary issues of Jewish law, especially Jewish medical ethics, and published in journals such as Hadarom, Hapardes and Aspaklaria and the RCA Sermon Anthology Series which he has co-edited. Kletenik lectures at medical ethics conferences such as
Bar Ilan University.
Kletenik presently heads the Semicha Standards Committee of the RCA. This committee "determine
which institutional and private semichot are acceptable for membership in the RCA."
Kletenik brokered the conversion deal between the RCA and Israeli Chief Rabbinate. He defended this controversial deal in an editorial.
Under his leadership, the RCA approved a resolution at its April 2010 conference which prohibited the ordination of women as rabbis, as well as "the recognition of women as members of the Orthodox rabbinate, regardless of the title." The resolution was passed in response to the decision by the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale to ordain Sara Hurwitz with the newly established title 'Rabba', formally recognizing her role as a member of its rabbinical staff.
He is married to
Rivy Poupko Kletenik
Rivy Poupko Kletenik is an American lecturer and educator.
Career
Poupko Kletenik is Head of School at the Seattle Hebrew Academy and wrote a monthly Jewish advice column called JQ for Seattle's ''The Jewish Sound''. She was the recipient of ...
and has four children, including
Gilah Kletenik
Gilah Kletenik is an academic and rabbi.
Career
Kletenik is a Starr Fellow at Harvard University. She has written about Jewish Studies and other topics.
Previously she was a congregational scholar at the Modern Orthodox Congregation Kehilath ...
.
References
Sources
*Rosenstein, Neil. The Unbroken Chain. Lakewood, NJ: CIS, 1990. p. 294
External links
Shaare Torah Congregation of PittsburghBikur Cholim-Machzikay Hadath CongregationRabbinical Council of America (RCA)The Orthodox Union
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kletenik, Moshe
1954 births
Living people
American Orthodox rabbis
People from Chicago
20th-century American rabbis
21st-century American rabbis
Rabbis from Chicago
Rabbis from Pennsylvania
Roosevelt University alumni