Aryeh Malkiel Kotler (born April 1951) is a

Haredi Haredi Judaism ( he, ', ; also spelled ''Charedi'' in English; plural ''Haredim'' or ''Charedim'') consists of groups within Orthodox Judaism that are characterized by their strict adherence to ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions, in oppos ...

rabbi 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 ...

(dean) of

Beth Medrash Govoha Beth Medrash Govoha ( he, בית מדרש גבוה, Sephardi pronunciation: ''Beth Midrash Gavoha''. lit: "High House of Learning"; also known as Lakewood Yeshiva or BMG) is a Haredi Jewish Lithuanian ''yeshiva'' in Lakewood Township, New Jerse ...

Lakewood, New Jersey Lakewood Township is the most populous township in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A rapidly growing community as of the 2020 U.S. census, the township had a total population of 135,158 representing an increase of 41,415 (+45.5% ...

, one of the largest

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 a ...

s in the world. He is a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah (Council of Torah Sages) of

Agudath Israel of America Agudath Israel of America ( he, אגודת ישראל באמריקה) (also called Agudah) is an American organization that represents Haredi Orthodox Jews. It is loosely affiliated with the international World Agudath Israel. Agudah seeks to ...

Biography

Aryeh Malkiel Kotler was born to Shneur Kotler and his wife, Rischel (née Friedman). He is the second of 9 children. The elder Kotler was the

(dean) of

and son of the yeshiva's founder,

Aharon Kotler Aharon Kotler (1892–1962) was an Orthodox Jewish rabbi and a prominent leader of Orthodox Judaism in Lithuania and the United States; the latter being where he founded Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood Township, New Jersey. Early life Kotler w ...

. On his father's side, Kotler is the great-grandson of Isser Zalman Meltzer. Upon the death of his father in 1982, Kotler was named co-rosh yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha along with

Dovid Schustal Dovid Tzvi Schustal ( he, דוד צבי שוסטאל) (born July 1947)Donn, Yochonon. "Hagaon Harav Eliyahu Simcha Schustal, zt"l, Rosh Yeshiva of Beis Binyomin in Stamford". '' Hamodia'', 3 May 2012, pp. B30-31. is an Orthodox rabbi and one of th ...

, Yeruchem Olshin, and Yisroel Neuman, who are all married to grandchildren of Aharon Kotler. At that time, the yeshiva had an enrollment of approximately 800 students, which has since grown to approximately 6,300. Kotler is a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah (Council of Torah Sages) of

Family

Kotler's first wife Hinda was the daughter of Yechiel Michel Feinstein and Lifsha, the granddaughter of

Yitzchok Zev Soloveitchik Yitzchok Zev Halevi Soloveitchik (Hebrew: יצחק זאב הלוי סולובייצ'יק), also known as Velvel Soloveitchik ("Zev" means "wolf" in Hebrew, and "Velvel" is the diminutive of "wolf" in Yiddish) or the Brisker Rov ("rabbi of/from B ...

. When Kotler traveled from their home in Israel to the US to visit his ailing father, his wife refused to join him. While Kotler was in the US his father died, and Kotler succeeded him as rosh yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha. Hinda Kotler refused to join her husband in Lakewood or accept a (Jewish divorce document) without a rabbinical court in Israel hearing the case; she refused to submit to an American rabbinical court. Kotler was issued a rarely used exemption known as a (permission of 100 rabbis). This allowed him to take a second wife upon the depositing of the divorce document for the first wife with the rabbinical court. Several months later he married his second wife, Chana Leah Tikotzky.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kotler, Malkiel 1951 births People from Lakewood Township, New Jersey Rabbis from New Jersey American Haredi rabbis Rosh yeshivas Beth Medrash Govoha Beth Medrash Govoha alumni Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah Living people