Rabbi Pesach Wolicki ( he, פסח ווליצקי; born 5 February 1970) is an educator, writer, columnist, lecturer,

public speaker Public speaking, also called oratory or oration, has traditionally meant the act of speaking face to face to a live audience. Today it includes any form of speaking (formally and informally) to an audience, including pre-recorded speech deliver ...

and pro-Israel activist. In previous positions, he served as the Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshivat Yesodei HaTorah from 2003 to 2015 and as the Associate Director of the

Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricit ...

(CJCUC) from 2015 to 2019. He is a columnist for

The Jerusalem Post ''The Jerusalem Post'' is a broadsheet newspaper based in Jerusalem, founded in 1932 during the British Mandate of Palestine by Gershon Agron as ''The Palestine Post''. In 1950, it changed its name to ''The Jerusalem Post''. In 2004, the paper ...

, ''

The Times of Israel ''The Times of Israel'' is an Israeli multi-language online newspaper that was launched in 2012. It was co-founded by Israeli journalist David Horovitz, who is also the founding editor, and American billionaire investor Seth Klarman.

'',

Charisma News ''Charisma'' (also known as ''Charisma + Christian Life'') is a monthly Christian magazine based in Lake Mary, Florida, a suburb of Orlando. It is aimed at Pentecostals and charismatics. Its perspective is influenced by the charismatic revivalis ...

, and ''Breaking News Israel'' and is an outspoken figure in the world of Jewish-Christian interfaith relations.

Biography

Rabbi Pesach Wolicki was born in

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

on February 5, 1970 to Marsha (née Dubow) and Rabbi Jerome B. Wolicki. During his early childhood years, he lived in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Education

Wolicki studied at

Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh ( he, ישיבת כרם ביבנה, lit. ''Vineyard in Yavne Yeshiva'') is a youth village and major yeshiva in southern Israel. Located near the city of Ashdod and adjacent to Kvutzat Yavne, it falls under the jurisdict ...

and later became a

fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

at ''Darche Noam Kollel''. He received his

semicha Semikhah ( he, סמיכה) is the traditional Jewish name for rabbinic ordination. The original ''semikhah'' was the formal "transmission of authority" from Moses through the generations. This form of ''semikhah'' ceased between 360 and 425 C ...

(rabbinical ordination) from the

Chief Rabbinate Chief Rabbi ( he, רב ראשי ''Rav Rashi'') is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities. Since 1911, through a ...

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

Career

Wolicki served as a pulpit

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 ...

at Adath Jeshurun Orthodox synagogue in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

and as Development Director of Hillel Academy in Fairfield, Connecticut. In 2003, he became Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Yesodei HaTorah. In 2015, Rabbi Wolicki became the Associate Director for the

. He left this position in 2019. In a September 2015 article for ''The Times of Israel'' Wolicki expounded his strong support of Rabbi

Shlomo Riskin Shlomo Riskin (born May 28, 1940) is an Orthodox rabbi, and the founding rabbi of Lincoln Square Synagogue on the Upper West Side of New York City, which he led for 20 years; founding chief rabbi of the Israeli settlement of Efrat in the Israe ...

's global Day to Praise interfaith initiative fighting off claims of 'foreign fire' by the

Haredi Haredi Judaism ( he, ', ; also spelled ''Charedi'' in English; plural ''Haredim'' or ''Charedim'') consists of groups within Orthodox Judaism that are characterized by their strict adherence to ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions, in oppos ...

Jewish circles and citing, in regards to the initiative, that ''"While discomfort is understandable, we dare not assume that what is uncomfortable and new is therefore forbidden."''

Blessing Bethlehem

In September 2016, Wolicki launched CJCUC's " Blessing Bethlehem" fundraising initiative at the LifeLight Festival in

Sioux Falls Sioux Falls () is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 130th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County and also extends into Lincoln County to the south, which continues up t ...

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large porti ...

in and effort to create a food giveaway program for persecuted Christians in

Bethlehem Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...

Works

* ''Cup of Salvation'' (Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation, Gefen Publishing, 2017)

Personal life

In 1994, Wolicki made '' aliyah'' to

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

. Wolicki resides with his wife and eight children in Bet Shemesh.

External links

* * * * * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wolicki, Pesach 1970 births American emigrants to Canada Canadian Orthodox rabbis Canadian Zionists Israeli Orthodox rabbis Jewish American writers Jewish Canadian writers Living people Rosh yeshivas 21st-century Israeli rabbis Modern Orthodox rabbis Canadian emigrants to Israel Founders of charities Bible commentators Christian and Jewish interfaith dialogue Old Testament scholars