Nota Schiller ( he, נטע שילר, born 1937) is an

Orthodox Jewish Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses on M ...

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 of ...

and rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat

Ohr Somayach, Jerusalem Ohr Somayach (also Or Samayach or Ohr Somayach International) is a yeshiva based in Jerusalem founded in 1970 catering mostly to young Jewish men, usually of college age, who are already interested in learning about Judaism. It is known as a "baal ...

. He is an influential figure in the

baal teshuva movement The baal teshuva movement is a description of the return of secular Jews to religious Judaism. The term ''baal teshuva'' is from the Talmud, literally meaning "master of repentance". The term is used to refer to a worldwide phenomenon among th ...

, having guided generations of students with little or no Jewish background to master the classical rabbinical texts and embrace an Orthodox lifestyle. He is widely regarded as an erudite

Torah scholar ''Talmid Chakham'' is an honorific title which is given to a man who is well versed in Jewish law, i. e., a Torah scholar. Originally he, תלמיד חכמים ''Talmid Chakhamim'', lit., "student of sages", pl. תלמידי חכמים ''talmid ...

in his own right.

Biography

Schiller was born in 1937 and raised in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York, where he attended the high school division of

Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin or ''Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin'' ( he, יְשִׁיבַת רַבֵּינוּ חַיִּים בֶּרלִין) is an American Haredi Lithuanian-type boys' and men's yeshiva in Brooklyn, New York. Chaim Berlin consis ...

He graduated from Yeshivas Ner Yisroel in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. The 1960s and 1970s were a time of searching for meaning by Western-educated, college-age men and women. In 1972, Rabbis

Noah Weinberg Yisrael Noah Weinberg ( he, ישראל נח וינברג; February 16, 1930 – February 5, 2009) was an Orthodox Jewish rabbi and the founder of Aish HaTorah. Early life Noah Weinberg was born on the Lower East Side of New York in 1930. His ...

Mendel Weinbach Chona Menachem Mendel (Mendel) Weinbach (September 24, 1933 – December 11, 2012) was an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, educator, author, and speaker. As the co-founder and dean of Ohr Somayach Institutions, a Jerusalem-based yeshiva for newly-obse ...

, Nota Schiller, and Yaakov Rosenberg founded Shma Yisrael Yeshiva to teach young Jewish men with little or no background in Jewish studies. After a few years, Weinberg left the yeshiva over a difference in philosophy and founded

Aish HaTorah Aish HaTorah ( he, אש התורה, lit. "Fire of the Torah") is an Orthodox Jewish educational organization and yeshiva. History Aish HaTorah was established in Jerusalem in 1974 by Rabbi Noah Weinberg, after he left the Ohr Somayach yeshiva ...

in 1974, whereas Rav Rosenberg left and founded Machon Shlomo in Har Nof. Shma Yisrael subsequently changed its name to Ohr Somayach, after the commentary on the

Mishneh Torah The ''Mishneh Torah'' ( he, מִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה, , repetition of the Torah), also known as ''Sefer Yad ha-Hazaka'' ( he, ספר יד החזקה, , book of the strong hand, label=none), is a code of Rabbinic Jewish religious law ('' ...

written by Rabbi

Meir Simcha of Dvinsk Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (1843–1926) was a rabbi and prominent leader of Orthodox Judaism in Eastern Europe in the early 20th century. He was a kohen, and is therefore often referred to as ''Meir Simcha ha-Kohen'' ("Meir Simcha the Kohen"). He is k ...

, the '' Ohr Somayach'', in response to critics who contended that the name belonged to the entire Jewish people, not just one institution.

Ohr Somayach International

Schiller was the driving force behind the development of Ohr Somayach International, which has opened yeshivas and learning branches in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, South Africa, and Australia. He founded the first international Ohr Somayach program in

Yonkers, New York Yonkers () is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. Developed along the Hudson River, it is the third most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City and Buffalo. The population of Yonkers was 211,569 as en ...

in 1977. The program became an independent spin-off in 1979 and relocated to Monsey.

References

External links

Rabbi Nota Schiller audio lectures"Multiples of Chai: One rabbi's war diary – Yom Kippur 5734/1973" by Rabbi Nota Schiller"Four More Questions: Exploring the connection between the number 4 and Pesach" by Rabbi Nota Schiller
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schiller, Nota 1937 births Living people 20th-century rabbis in Jerusalem 21st-century rabbis in Jerusalem Haredi rabbis in Israel Rosh yeshivas Rabbis of Ohr Somayach Orthodox Jewish outreach American emigrants to Israel People from Brooklyn