Avraham Yaakov Pam (1913 – August 16, 2001) was the '' rosh yeshiva'' of

Yeshiva Torah Vodaas Yeshiva Torah Vodaas (or Yeshiva and Mesivta Torah Vodaath or Yeshiva Torah Vodaath or Torah Vodaath Rabbinical Seminary ) is a ''yeshiva'' in the Kensington neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. History The yeshiva was conceived in 1917 and for ...

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.

Biography

Rabbi Pam began his career at

in 1938, when was appointed '' maggid shiur'' (Talmudic lecturer) there. At that time secularism was on the rise in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, even amongst Orthodox Jews. In 1943, he married Sarah Balmuth.Kamenetsky, Rabbi Mordechai
The majesty of man
''Jewish World Review'', August 16, 2002. His teachers included Moshe Rosen (Nezer HaKodesh) and

Dovid Leibowitz Dovid Leibowitz (1887–1941) was a leading rabbi and disciple of prewar Europe's Slabodka yeshiva in Lithuania, who went on to found the Rabbinical Seminary of America, better known today as "Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yisrael Meir HaKohen" or the ''"Cho ...

. During Pam's sixty-plus years at Torah Vodaas, he held many positions. He even taught mathematics in the Yeshiva, utilizing his degree from the City College. For many years in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s he delivered the

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 ...

class to students studying toward rabbinic ordination. Pam's dress was unassuming: he preferred modern short jackets and

Fedora hat A fedora () is a hat with a soft brim and indented crown.Kilgour, Ruth Edwards (1958). ''A Pageant of Hats Ancient and Modern''. R. M. McBride Company. It is typically creased lengthwise down the crown and "pinched" near the front on both sides ...

s to the more traditional long

frock coats A frock coat is a formal men's coat characterised by a knee-length skirt cut all around the base just above the knee, popular during the Victorian and Edwardian periods (1830s–1910s). It is a fitted, long-sleeved coat with a centre vent at th ...

and Homburg hats, generally worn by heads of Yeshivas. While Pam was respected as a great talmudic scholar within

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 ...

circles, he was also widely admired for his humility and soft-spoken style. Pam was a vocal supporter of

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 ...

education for non-religious

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

n immigrants 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 ...

through the work of his organization called

Shuvu Shuvu Chazon Avrohom, often referred to by its former names Shuvu or The United Fund for the Education of Russian Immigrant Children in Israel, is an Orthodox Jewish kiruv organization in Israel. It was founded by Rabbi Avrohom Yaakov Pam as a ne ...

. At the keynote session of the annual 1990 Agudath Israel convention, Pam spoke impassionedly about the influx of new Jewish emigrants from the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

and his concern that their children were growing up oblivious to their religious heritage. He argued that a network of schools should be set up in Israel for those emigrants and organized a convention meeting with wealthy and influential patrons to facilitate his vision. He appointed Avraham Biderman as the chair of Shuvu, the organization founded at that meeting. After Pam's death, the organization was renamed Shuvu: Chazon Avraham, in his memory.

References

External links

Biography Rabbi Avrohom Yaakov Pam
- obituary by Rabbi Avi Shafran.
Rabbi Avrohom Yaakov HaKohen Pam
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pam, Avraham Yaakov 1913 births 2001 deaths 20th-century American rabbis American Haredi rabbis American people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent Torah Vodaath rosh yeshivas

Biography

References

Further reading

External links