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

rosh yeshiva Rosh yeshiva or Rosh Hayeshiva (, plural, pl. , '; 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, primarily the Talmud and th ...

'' of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

Biography

Rabbi Pam began his career at Yeshiva Torah Vodaas 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 (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, even amongst

Orthodox Jews Orthodox Judaism is a collective term for the traditionalist branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as literally revealed by God on Mount Sinai and faithfully tr ...

. 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. 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'' () is the traditional term for rabbiinic ordination in Judaism. The original ''semikhah'' was the formal "transmission of authority" from Moses through the generations. This form of ''semikhah'' ceased between 360 and 425 CE. Si ...

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

Yeshiva A yeshiva (; ; 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 studied in parallel. The stu ...

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

yeshiva A yeshiva (; ; 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 studied in parallel. The stu ...

education for non-religious

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n immigrants to

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through the work of his organization called Shuvu. 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 Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

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