Scholars-in-Residence
A fulfilling vacation extends beyond the activities, scenery and cuisine. At Rustic Elegance we strive to find some of the best scholars and rabbinic figures who will help us not only be focused on the physical aspects of the trip, but to grow and be inspired spiritually, deepening our relationship with Hashem and his creations.
Please scroll down to learn about our Scholars-in-Residence (In order of appearance)
Rabbi Efrem Goldberg
(July 2018, July 2021 Scholar-In-Residence)
Rabbi Efrem Goldberg is the Senior Rabbi of the Boca Raton Synagogue (BRS), a rapidly-growing congregation of over 800 families and over 1,000 children in Boca Raton, Florida. BRS is the largest Orthodox Synagogue in the Southeast United States. Rabbi Goldberg's warm and welcoming personality has helped attract people of diverse backgrounds and ages to feel part of the BRS community, reinforcing the BRS credo of 'Valuing Diversity and Celebrating Unity.'
Rabbi Goldberg personally leads numerous weekly learning opportunities for large and small groups, as well as individualized study. Many of his classes are available to listen to online.
Rabbi Goldberg is the author of a popular blog and is a frequent contributor to Aish.com and OU.org. His writings have appeared in Mishpacha, Klal Perspectives, Mosaic, Jewish Press, Jewish Link, Jewish Life, Jewish Action, Times of Israel, Sun Sentinel, Forward, YU to Go, and have been quoted by the New York Times and Wall St. Journal.
Please click on the links below for copies of the Shiurim given on the past trip
Rabbi Ya'akov Trump
(August 2018, August 2019 Scholar-In-Residence)
Rabbi Ya’akov Trump serves as the Associate Rabbi of the Young Israel of Lawrence Cedarhurst. Rabbi Trump has been involved in many community wide projects including being hub coordinator of the Shabbos Project in the Five Towns-Far Rockaway bringing hundreds and thousands together raising the bar of Shabbos and the Five Towns Drug Awareness panel. Rabbi Trump teaches Halacha at the Shulamith High School for girls.
Rabbi Trump grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa. After graduating high school, he spent several years in Kerem BeYavneh in Israel followed by Ner Yisrael, Baltimore. He holds a BA in Mathematics from Yeshiva University and has taken multiple Actuary exams. While completing Semicha at RIETS, he served as Rabbinic Intern in Kesher Israel DC, Young Israel of Jamaica Estates and the Beth Din of America. He spent two years as Rabbinic fellow of the YU Torah Mitzion Kollel of Chicago creating new programs and shiurim.
He has been a scholar at many programs including the OU Convention, Sharmel Caterers Pesach program, Kosher Rustic and the OU West Convention.
It is his passion to share his passion for the Torah and its relevance in contemporary times. He and his wife, Malka, and children live in Lawrence.
Please click on the links below for copies of the Shiurim given on the past trip
Rabbi Yakov Horowitz
(July 2019, July 2022 Scholar-In-Residence)
Rabbi Yakov Horowitz is the Founding Dean of Yeshiva Darchei Noam and Director of The Center for Jewish Family Life. He is the author of two books, published the landmark children’s personal safety picture book Let’s Stay Safe!, which is in over 70,000 homes worldwide in 3 languages, and the Bright Beginnings Chumash and Gemara Workbooks which has helped over 5,000 children in 70 schools acquire Judaic Studies skills in a fun-filled manner in just the past 2 years. Rabbi Horowitz conducts child abuse prevention and parenting workshops internationally and received the prestigious 2008 Covenant Award in recognition of his contribution to Jewish education.
Rabbi David Fohrman
(July 2019, July 2021 Scholar-In-Residence)
Rabbi David Fohrman lectures internationally on Biblical themes. In recent years, Rabbi Fohrman has developed Aleph Beta, an online startup that develops animated video content based on his approach to Chumash, Navi and Chazal. Thousands of individual subscribers, as well as hundreds of schools, worldwide, make use of its material.
Rabbi Fohrman is the author of "The Beast that Crouches at the Door," finalist for the 2007 National Jewish Book Award, and "The Queen You Thought You Knew. " He served as a senior writer and editor for ArtScroll’s Schottenstein Edition of the Talmud, and taught Biblical Themes at The Johns Hopkins University. He grew up in Northern California, and is always ready to go back to Yosemite at a moment's notice. Rabbi Fohrman currently resides in Woodmere, NY with his wife and children, where he also serves as resident scholar at the Young Israel of Woodmere.
Rabbi Moshe Tzvi Weinberg
(August 2019 Scholar-In-Residence)
Rabbi Moshe Tzvi Weinberg currently teaches in Yeshiva University’s Irving I. Stone Beit Midrash Program (SBMP), where he also he serves as Mashgiach Ruchani. A graduate of Yeshiva University, Rabbi Weinberg received his semicha from Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg of Jerusalem and has also been certified by the Center for Integrated Teacher Education.
Rabbi Weinberg has worked as Jewish educator for the past 15 years, and has previously taught at Torah Academy of Bergen County and the Moriah School of Englewood, before joining the Yeshiva University faculty seven years ago. He has served as a guest speaker and scholar in residence in Jewish communities and college campuses across the country.
Most recently, he was appointed to the position of Mashpia at Congregation Beth Abraham, a 450 member shul in Bergenfield (NJ) where he lives with his wife and four children. Additionally, Rabbi Weinberg teaches at Naaleh High School for Girls and Yeshivas Heichal Hatorah in Teaneck. More than 1,500 of his recorded shiurim appear on yutorah.org.
Rabbi Bezalel Rudinsky
(August 2020 Scholar-In-Residence)
Rabbi Bezalel Rudinsky is an internationally recognized educator, religious leader, author, and lecturer.
As the founder and Dean of Yeshivas Ohr Reuven in Monsey. Founded in 1992, the Yeshiva is comprised of K-12 instruction as well as Bais Medrash and Kollel. An esteemed student of Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky Zt”l and Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l, having received his semicha from the latter. Author of the Mishkan Bezalel series, Rabbi Rudinsky also has thousands of lectures and shiurim, on all topics of Torah and Judaism on the Ohr Reuven website and the Ohr Reuven App. Many of Rabbi Rudinsky’s students have gone on to hold prestigious Rabbinic posts in Monsey and beyond.
Since 1991, Rabbi Rudinsky has served with distinction as the Rabbi at Congregation Ahavas Yitzchok , an Agudahs Yisroel shul, in Monsey, with a membership of nearly two hundred families. An outstanding leader in the Monsey community and beyond, his insights and vision have forged the community into what it is today.
Rabbi Rudinsky is a much sought after and renowned lecturer who has lectured across the U.S. and internationally on all topics of Torah and Jewish life.
Rabbi Aryeh Z. Ginzberg
(August 2020 Scholar-In-Residence)
Rabbi Aryeh Z. Ginzberg is the Rov of the Chofetz Chaim Torah Center of Cedarhurst, NY
He is a published author & writes extensively in magazines & newspapers on the Torah perspective of contemporary issues. He is also a featured lecturer in many different venues around the Jewish world.
Rabbi Yoel Gold
(August 2021, July 2022 Scholar-In-Residence)
Rabbi Yoel Gold, a sought after international speaker and founder of Hashkifa, has inspired hundreds of thousands worldwide through his popular videos and weekly column in the Ami Magazine.
Rabbi Chaim Marcus
(August 2022 Scholar-In-Residence)
During his 20-year tenure as Morah D’Asrah, Rav Chaim Marcus has transformed Congregation Israel of Springfield into one of the fastest-growing young communities in the State of New Jersey. This year, Rabbi Marcus joined Yeshivas Heichal HaTorah as a Rebbe and Mashpia, after serving for nearly two decades as a Senior Halacha Rebbe at Bruriah High School for Girls. He has served as a Scholar-in-Residence at numerous Yeshivos, as well as various communities in the US. During the summer, he is a senior Chinuch Rebbe at Ohel’s Camp Kaylie, teaching staff as well as campers.
Before undertaking his studies at Yeshiva University, Rav Chaim learned at Yeshivat Har Etzion in Israel with Rav Aharon Lichtenstein zt’l, and at Talmud Torah d’Meah Shearim with Rav Chaim Ilson shlita. After graduating from YU, Rav Chaim joined the YU Kollel and earned Semicha from RIETS, where he also served as a Sgan Mashgiach. Prior to beginning his tenure as Morah D’Asrah of Congregation Israel, Rav Chaim was a Rebbe at Yeshivat Reishit Yerushalayim, which he continues to represent in the US.
You can find Rav Chaim's weekly shiurim on Torah and Tefillah at YUTorah.org
Rabbi Shay Schachter
(August 2022, Scholar-In-Residence)
Rabbi Shay Schachter lives with his wife, Rina, and their children in Woodmere, New York. He serves as Rabbi and Rosh Beit Midrash at the Young Israel of Woodmere. In addition, Rav Shay is honored to serve as the Rabbi and spiritual leader of Yachad, the Orthodox Union's international program for individuals with disabilities. He also serves as the Rabbi of Camp Simcha, Chai Lifeline's camp for children battling cancer and chronic illnesses.
Rav Shay received his Rabbinic ordination from RIETS upon completion of a nine year course of study with his father, Rabbi Hershel Schachter, shlita. He received an additional Rabbinic ordination from his teacher and mentor, Rabbi Asher Weiss of Jerusalem. Rav Shay received a Masters degree in Jewish Education and Administration from the Azrieli Graduate School of Yeshiva University.
Simcha Leiner
(July 2019, July & August 2021, Summer 2022 Shabbos Chazzan)
Since 2008 Simcha Leiner has been a sought after Jewish Music Star. After releasing his breakout single Kol Berama he went on to reach international critical aclaim garnering over 450,000 views on that video alone, as well as over a million views on his other songs and videos! In 2014 Simcha teamed up with producer extrodinaire Yochi Briskman to release his chart topping album PISCHI LI.
Since then they haven't rested for a moment. Aside from releasing 2 collaboration albums 'PROJECT RELAX' with Baruch Levine, and joining the legendary cast of that years HASC Concert, they have release Simcha's second solo album SL2 to excellent review in 2015. In November of 2016 Simcha and Yochi embarked on the most ambitious show of the decade, performing Simcha's greatest hits to a sold out crowd in Odessa Ukraine. They were joined by a 62 piece symphony orchestra. Simcha has traveled the world bringing his unique range and energy to simchos and event. He is also currently leading the tfillos at Shuls and Hotel programs multiple times a month.
Rabbi Baruch Levine
(August 2020, July 2021, Summer 2022 Shabbos Chazzan)
As both the composer and singer of his signature V’zakeini song, Rabbi Baruch Levine has been said to have literally raised the "bar" of Jewish music. His best-selling albums reflect his diversity of talents as a composer, arranger, and great singer. It is no wonder that it is said about him "Baruch has proven that Jewish Music today can still be meaningful, heartfelt, and yet refreshingly interesting."
Baruch was raised in Toronto, Canada where he composed his first published song at the young age of 13. He has recently released his 6th solo album and has also collaborated with Rabbi Yechiel Spero of Artscroll fame on the English "Touched by a Niggun" album as well.
His audience spans the globe and Baruch has performed at world class venues in the UK, France, Israel, USA, Africa, and Canada. In August 2012 Baruch performed at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey where he graced a crowd of ninety thousand plus at the at the 12th Siyum Hashas.
He currently resides in Waterbury Connecticut along with his family and is a Rebbe at the Yeshiva K'tana of Waterbury.