Yaakov Moshe Kulefsky (December 14, 1925 - November 30, 2000)
was an American-born
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 teacher.
He served as both dean and
rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva ( he, ראש ישיבה, pl. he, ראשי ישיבה, '; Anglicized pl. ''rosh yeshivas'') is the title given to the dean of a yeshiva, a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primar ...
at
Yeshivas Ner Yisroel
Ner Israel Rabbinical College (ישיבת נר ישראל), also known as NIRC and Ner Yisroel, is a Haredi yeshiva (Jewish educational institution) in Pikesville (Baltimore County), Maryland. It was founded in 1933 by Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Ru ...
for decades, until the last year of his life.
[
]
Early life
His parents, Raphael Nisan Shlomo (Nathan) and Rachel (Rose), had a business in Chicago, where he was born. The family moved to St. Louis for a better opportunity.[ This "opportunity" did not include a better Jewish education, and at age 15 he was sent to study in Chicago's ''Beis Medrash L'Torah'', specifically to learn from ]Dovid Lifshitz
Rabbi Dovid Lifshitz (1906–1993) was a distinguished Rosh yeshiva in the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) for almost fifty years. He was appointed upon the invitation of Rabbi Samuel Belkin in 1944. He was also known as the "S ...
. Three years later he transferred to Mesivta Torah V'Daas. Despite his 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 s ...
rabbinical student status, he was drafted into the United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
August 1944.[
While on leave during his training period mid-week, he spent time in a Jewish book store frequented by his future father-in-law. He was discharged in early 1946. He married Sarah Gartenhouse on June 18, 1947. Through 1954, he studied at Bais Medrash Elyon, in Monsey, at which time, with the help of a cousin already at Yeshiva Ner Yisroel, he accepted a teaching position.][
]
Teacher
A student, asking his teacher, Kulefsky, how he remembered so many details connected with so many topics he taught, was told: "Do you remember how many children you have? Do you remember their names?"
Dean, Ner Yisroel
He also was involved with the testing process for rabbinical 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 ...
at ''Ner Yisroel''.[
When the school was able to accept students permitted to leave ]Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
,[ he "became almost like a surrogate parent to them." Kulefsky served as the ''rosh yeshiva'' from Rabbi Weinberg's death in 1999 until his own death on November 30, 2000.
Yissocher Frand compared how his personality was able to "transmit to literally thousands of talmidim" because his method was like giving "a baby its first lollypop" leading to many a life-long connection.
An example of his being gentle was when a student asked for permission to skip part of a day in yeshiva to attend an out-of-town wedding. When Rabbi Kulefsky delayed a direct yes or no, the student asked, "So is it OK?" and was told, "I can't tell you whether it's OK for you to go. I have
enough problems worrying about my ''bittul Torah''; I can't speak for yours."][
Some of his teachings were encapsulated in "Chidushei Rav Kulefsky."
]
Personal
Rabbi Kulefsky was a first born only son; he had 3 sisters.[ He was survived by his wife of 53 years and their "two sons, three daughters, 40 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren,][ and buried in Baltimore County's Agudath Israel Congregation Cemetery a day after he "delivered his last class November 29.]
References
External links
Purim Grammen by Harav Yaakov Moshe Kulefsky, zt"l
Jacob Morris Kulefsky in the 1940 Census
{{authority control
1925 births
2000 deaths
American Orthodox rabbis
20th-century American rabbis