Daniel Lapin (born January 1, 1947) is an American
Orthodox
Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to:
Religion
* Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...
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 ...
, author, and public speaker.
[ xaminer om/article/rabbi-lapin-reveals-prosperity-secrets (URL blocked by Wikipedia)] He was previously the founding rabbi of the
Pacific Jewish Center in
Venice, California
Venice is a neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles within the Westside region of Los Angeles County, California.
Venice was founded by Abbot Kinney in 1905 as a seaside resort town. It was an independent city until 1926, when it was annexed by ...
, and the former head of Toward Tradition, the Commonwealth Loan Company and the Cascadia Business Institute. Lapin currently hosts a daily television program with his wife, Susan, and provides spiritual advice to people through his website.
Early life and education
Lapin was born on January 1, 1947, in
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Dem ...
, South Africa, to a family of
Lithuanian Jewish descent; the son of Rabbi A.H. Lapin, a Rabbinic leader in South Africa, and great nephew of Rabbi
Elya Lopian
Eliyahu Lopian (1876 – 21 September 1970), known as Reb Elyah, was a leading rabbi of the Mussar Movement. As a disciple of the Kelm Talmud Torah method, he was known for his strictness with respect to order and self-control.
Biography
Elya ...
.
He was the eldest of four siblings.
Prior to coming to the United States, he studied in
Yeshiva
A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are st ...
s in
Gateshead and
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
. Lapin has
rabbinic ordination
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 ...
from three institutions:
Gateshead Yeshiva
Gateshead Talmudical College ( he, ישיבת בית יוסף גייטסהעד), popularly known as Gateshead Yeshiva, is located in the Bensham area of Gateshead in North East England. It is the largest yeshiva in Europe and considered to be o ...
(1969);
Yeshiva Knesset Hezekiah in Israel (1972); and from Rabbi
Jacob Ruderman in Baltimore, Maryland (1975).
While in his early twenties he returned to South Africa and taught physics and Bible in
Yeshiva College of South Africa
The Yeshiva College of South Africa (''Yeshivat Beit Yitzchak''), commonly known as Yeshiva College - and formerly known as Yeshivat Bnei Akiva - is South Africa’s largest religious Jewish Day School.
The school is headed by Mr Rob Lonsince 2 ...
. He initially planned to move to Israel, but moved to New York and later California. He partnered with
Matis Weinberg and started a yeshiva for high school and post-high school students in
Santa Clara, in 1976.
His family re-located to Washington State in 1991 to develop Toward Tradition, and to host a nationally syndicated weekly radio show.
Lapin has two brothers,
David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
and
Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual a ...
, who are also Orthodox rabbis and have similar educational backgrounds. His sister is married to an American rabbi. Lapin's wife and business partner, Susan Lapin, is also an author and lecturer.
Professional career
Pacific Jewish Center
From 1976 until 1991 Lapin was the rabbi of the Pacific Jewish Center in Venice, California.
Broadcasting and television
In 1995, Lapin began to broadcast a weekly radio talk show on
KVI
KVI (570 AM) is a commercial radio station in Seattle, Washington. Owned by Lotus Communications, it airs a conservative talk radio format called "News Talk 570 KVI." Its transmitter is on Vashon Island and its studios and offices are located ...
in Seattle. The show ended in 2006 when he began hosting a Sunday afternoon radio show on
KSFO
KSFO (560 AM) is a commercial radio station in San Francisco, California. It is owned by Cumulus Media and airs a talk radio format. The station's studios and offices are on Battery Street in the SoMa district of San Francisco, along with f ...
in San Francisco. Lapin has also been a frequent guest of
Dave Ramsey
David Lawrence Ramsey III (born September 3, 1960) is an American personal finance personality, radio show host, author, and businessman. An evangelical Christian, he hosts the nationally syndicated radio program ''The Ramsey Show''. Ramsey has ...
on ''The Dave Ramsey Show'' on radio and television and on the ''
Glenn Beck Program
''Glenn'' (previously titled ''The Glenn Beck Program'') is a news talk and political opinion show on TheBlaze hosted by Glenn Beck. It is produced and recorded at TheBlaze studios in Dallas, TX. The show originally ran on CNN Headline News fr ...
'' on
Fox News Channel and
TheBlaze
Blaze Media is an American conservative media company. It was founded in 2018 as a result of a merger between TheBlaze and CRTV LLC. The company's leadership consists of CEO Tyler Cardon and president Gaston Mooney. It is based in Irving, Tex ...
.
Lifecodex Publishing Company
Lapin is the founder of the Lifecodex Publishing Company.
Publications and lectures
Lectures and speeches
Books
Lapin has written many books, most of them self-published by LifeCodex publishing, most of which are available only as audio books.
* ''America's Real War'' Multnomah Books, division of
Random House
Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...
, 2012
Awards and recognition
Lapin has received endorsements from Dave Ramsey,
Dr. Kenneth L. Hutcherson, Dr. James Dobson,
Dr. Pat Robertson, and Zig Ziglar. In 1998, he was recognized by ''Seattle Magazine'' as one of the "Four Faces of Faith" and featured in an article that included three other religious leaders. In 2007, he was named by ''Newsweek'' as one of the top 50 rabbis in America.
Links to Jack Abramoff
Lapin has been linked to the scandal of
Jack Abramoff
Jack Allan Abramoff (; born February 28, 1959) is an American lobbyist, businessman, film producer, writer, and convicted felon. He was at the center of an extensive corruption investigation led by Earl Devaney that resulted in his conviction ...
through his organization Toward Tradition. From the early 1990s until 2004, Abramoff was a board member of the organization, which required its board members to contribute at least $10,000 per year to the organization, and served a few terms as chairman of the board. Abramoff met his contribution one year by donating $10,000 from the
Capital Athletic Foundation, an organization Abramoff controlled. E-mails later surfaced that were alleged to have been sent between Lapin and Abramoff. In these e-mails, Abramoff requests that Lapin create fake awards for
Talmud
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...
ic studies to help Abramoff gain admittance to the
Cosmos Club
The Cosmos Club is a 501(c)(7) private social club in Washington, D.C. that was founded by John Wesley Powell in 1878 as a gentlemen's club for those interested in science. Among its stated goals is, "The advancement of its members in science, ...
in Washington, D. C. Lapin later released a formal statement denying having given any awards to Abramoff, and stated that he was joking in the e-mails and believed that Abramoff was as well.
Family
Lapin told the interviewer that he "is the oldest child" brother of Rabbi
David Lapin
David Lapin (born October 30, 1949) is a South African people, South African born rabbi, since 2019 rabbi of KBA, Raanana, Israel, and an international leadership and strategy consultant.
Early life and education
Lapin is the son of Rabbi A H La ...
and Rabbi
Raphael Lapin; their sister is
Rebbetzin
Rebbetzin ( yi, רביצין) or Rabbanit ( he, רַבָּנִית) is the title used for the wife of a rabbi—typically among Orthodox, Haredi, and Hasidic Jews—or for a female Torah scholar or teacher.
Etymology
The Yiddish word h ...
Judith Chill.
Their father was the notable South African Rabbi Avraham Hyam Lapin (1912–1991), who was a nephew of Rabbi
Elyah Lopian
Eliyahu Lopian (1876 – 21 September 1970), known as Reb Elyah, was a leading rabbi of the Musar movement, Mussar Movement. As a disciple of the Kelm Talmud Torah method, he was known for his strictness with respect to order and self-control.
B ...
(1876–1970).
Lapin married Susan Friedberg on 15 May 1979. They have six daughters and one son.
References
External links
Official Rabbi Daniel Lapin site*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lapin, Daniel
Living people
People from Johannesburg
South African Jews
American Orthodox Jews
South African emigrants to the United States
American people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent
American people of South African-Jewish descent
American Orthodox rabbis
Christian and Jewish interfaith dialogue
American businesspeople
American religious leaders
Companies that have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
South African Orthodox rabbis
1947 births
Washington (state) Republicans
People from Mercer Island, Washington
Naturalized citizens of the United States
21st-century American Jews