Yechiel Yitzchok Perr (1935– May 3, 2024) was an American rabbi. He was the founder and

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 Derech Ayson (

Yeshiva of Far Rockaway Yeshiva of Far Rockaway (also known as Yeshiva Derech Ayson () and Derech Ayson Rabbinical Seminary) is a yeshiva located at 802 Hicksville Road, Far Rockaway, Queens in New York City. It comprises a high school, beis medrash, and Kollel. The sc ...

) in

Far Rockaway Far Rockaway is a neighborhood on the eastern part of the Rockaway peninsula in the New York City borough of Queens. It is the easternmost section of the Rockaways. The neighborhood extends from Beach 32nd Street east to the Nassau County li ...

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

Yechiel Yitzchak Perr was born and raised in

South Ozone Park South Ozone Park is a neighborhood in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Queens. It is just north of John F. Kennedy International Airport, between Aqueduct Racetrack to the west and the Van Wyck Expressway to the east. A ...

Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

, where his father, Menachem Mendel Perr served as a rabbi for over 50 years. He attended high school at Mesivta

Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin or Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin () is an American Haredi Lithuanian-type boys' and men's yeshiva in Brooklyn, New York. The school's divisions include a preschool, a ''yeshiva ketana'' (elementary school), a ''mesivta ...

. After completing high school, he studied at the

Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia The Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia () is a Haredi Litvish yeshiva in the Overbrook neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its heads of school are Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky, Rabbi Shimon Yehudah Svei and Rabbi Sholom Kaminetsky. Histo ...

, and then at

Lakewood Yeshiva Beth Medrash Govoha (, pronounced: ''Beis Medrash Gavo'ha''. lit: "High House of Learning"; also known as Lakewood Yeshiva or BMG) is a Haredi Jewish Litvishe ''yeshiva'' in Lakewood Township, New Jersey. It was founded by Rabbi Aharon Kotler i ...

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 United States census, the township's population was 135,158, its highest decennial count ever and ...

, under

Aharon Kotler Aharon Kotler (February 2, 1892 – November 29, 1962) was a Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) rabbi and a prominent leader of Orthodox Judaism in Lithuania and in the United States, where he founded Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood Township, New Jersey. ...

from 1954 to 1962.Kobre, Eytan. "Not Just a Malach, But a Saraf". ''

Mishpacha ''Mishpacha'' () - Jewish Family Weekly is a Haredi weekly magazine package produced by The Mishpacha Group in both English and Hebrew. History ''Mishpacha'' is one of the four major English-language newspapers and magazines serving the Hared ...

'', November 14, 2012, pp. 34–47.

Personal life and death

Rabbi Perr married Shoshana Nekritz, daughter of Rabbi Yehuda Leib Nekritz, granddaughter of Rabbi

Avraham Yoffen Avraham Yoffen (or Jofen; 1887 - April 19, 1970), also known as "Avraham Pinsker" was a rabbi, son-in-law to Yosef Yozel Horowitz, the ''Alter of Novardok'' and director of Novardok Yeshiva. He fled to the U.S. at the outbreak of World War II and ...

, and great-granddaughter of 'the Alter of

Novardok Novogrudok or Navahrudak (; ; , ; ) is a town in Grodno Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Novogrudok District. As of 2025, it has a population of 27,624. In the Middle Ages, the city was ruled by King Mindaugas' son ...

', Rabbi

Yosef Yozel Horwitz Yosef Yozel Horowitz (), also Yosef Yoizel Hurwitz, known as the Alter of Novardok (1847–December 9, 1919), was a student of Rabbi Yisroel Salanter, the founder of the Musar movement. The Alter was also a student of Rabbis Yitzchak Blazer and ...

. After his marriage he came into contact with the Novardok tradition. He went on to study at Yeshivat Beis Yosef-Novardok in

Brooklyn, New York 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 ...

. In 1969, he established the Yeshiva of Far Rockaway, which also runs a high school and an accredited rabbinical studies program. Rabbi Perr died on May 3, 2024, at the age of 89.

Published works

*"Reb Yisroel – Who Was He?" ''

The Jewish Observer ''The Jewish Observer'' was an American Orthodox Jewish magazine published by the Agudath Israel of America, from 1963 until 2009. It was put on "hiatus" in 2009, with plans to restart once the finances of the magazine, affected by the economic ...

'', June 1969. *''Tzidkus Stands Forever: The Life and Lessons of Rabbi Menachem M. Perr zt”l'', September 2011. *''Shoshanas Ha'amakim: Parsha Lessons, Life Lessons'', 2019. *מגילות רות ואסתר עם פירוש שושנת העמקים, ‎2020. A commentary on the books of

Esther Esther (; ), originally Hadassah (; ), is the eponymous heroine of the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible. According to the biblical narrative, which is set in the Achaemenid Empire, the Persian king Ahasuerus falls in love with Esther and ma ...

and

Ruth Ruth (or its variants) may refer to: Places France * Château de Ruthie, castle in the commune of Aussurucq in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département of France Switzerland * Ruth, a hamlet in Cologny United States * Ruth, Alabama * Ruth, Ark ...

, in Hebrew. *שושנת העמקים על מועדי השנה, ‎2021. Lectures on the festivals, in Hebrew. Additionally, Yehuda Keilson published two books, ''Mind Over Man'' and ''Faith Over Fear,'' based on Rav Perr's Mussar lectures on ''Madreigas Ha’adam''. On July 20, 2022, David Jemal published ''Choosing Not To Choose'', based on Rav Perr's Mussar lectures on the ''Tekufos Ha'Olam'' section of the ''Madreigas Ha'adam''. A series of Rav Perr's conversations on Mussar are described in the following books by

Alan Morinis Alan Morinis (born December 8, 1949) is a Canadian anthropologist, filmmaker, and writer who has been a leading figure in the contemporary revival of the Musar movement, a Jewish ethical movement. Early life and secular education Morinis was ...

: *''Climbing Jacob's Ladder.'' Broadway, 2002. . *''Everyday Holiness: The Jewish Spiritual Path of Mussar.'' Trumpeter Books, 2007. .

References

External links

Rabbi Perr on Parshas Kedoshim
Tzidkus Stands Forever: The Life and Lessons of Rabbi Menachem M. Perr zt"l ; Articles
מוריה (ירחון), שנה שלישית, גליון א-ב (כה-כו), ניסן-אייר תשל"א, עמ' לב, ישוב בשיטת הרמב"ם בגיטין ושטרות

ספר זכרון זכור לאברהם לרבנו הגדול הגאון החסיד מרן רבי אברהם יפהן זצוק״ל, שנת תשל״ב, עמ׳ סו, בענין בעל המעשה בשליחות

עם התורה - תשמ"ג - מהדורא ב חוברת ו, עמ' עג, בענין אמירת קדושה ע״י הש״צ

עם התורה - תשמ"ד - מהדורא ב חוברת ח, עמ' צב, תשובה להערה בענין אמירת קדושה ע״י הש״ץ
(נכתב בתגובה
הערת הרב מיכל שורקין, עמ' צא

עם התורה - תשנ"ב - מהדורא ג חוברת ו, עמ' סא, בשיעור גודל הבית תפילין של יד
(נכתב בתגובה למאמרו של הרב בן ציון וואזנר
עם התורה - תש"נ - מהדורא ג חוברת ד, עמ' פג, בענין שיע[ו
� גודל הבית של תפילין של יד ומקום הנחתו">�">עם התורה - תש"נ - מהדורא ג חוברת ד, עמ' פג, בענין שיע[ו
� גודל הבית של תפילין של יד ומקום הנחתו ולתשובת רב ואזנר להערות בענין הנ"ל
עם התורה - תשנ"א - מהדורא ג חוברת ה, עמ' עו

עם התורה - תשנ"ז - מהדורא ג חוברת טו, עמ׳ לה, ישוב בשיטת ברמב״ם במצות סיפור יציאת מצרים

"בענין מקיף וניקף", נטעי נעמנים (קובץ תורני), סיון ה'תשנ"ח, עמ' שלא
* Response
t

Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society, Vol. 40, Sukkot 2001
עם התורה, מהדורא ה' חוברת ה', תשע"ד, עמ' כט, בענין מי הם האומרים ברוך כבוד ה' ממקומו

קונטרס משכיל לאיתן - תשע״ח, עמ׳ 97, בענין יחלוקו (בבא מציעא ב.)

ע"ד שמה או שמיה רבה, המאור, שנה נו קונטרס ב (שצא), כסלו-טבת תשס"ג, עמ' 10
(נכתב בתגובה למאמרו של הרב מרדכי שמואל יונתן בערקאוויטש
המאור, שנה נד קונטרס ג (שפא), ניסן-אייר תשס"א, עמ' 21, נתיבי אור
;Mussar Articles
א. נייהוז, מבעד לעדשת המוסר... - מאמר א בסדרה, מוסף שבת קודש - יתד נאמן, פרשת שופטים (50) תשע"ד. עמ' 15–17, באתר אוצר החכמה

א. נייהוז, מבעד לעדשת המוסר... - מאמר ב בסדרה, מוסף שבת קודש - יתד נאמן, פרשת כי תצא (51) תשע"ד. עמ' 26–29, באתר אוצר החכמה

א. נייהוז, מבעד לעדשת המוסר... - מאמר ג בסדרה, מוסף שבת קודש - יתד נאמן, פרשת כי תבא (52) תשע"ד. עמ' 22–23, באתר אוצר החכמה

א. נייהוז, מבעד לעדשת המוסר... - מאמר ד בסדרה, מוסף שבת קודש - יתד נאמן, פרשת נח (03) תשע"ה. עמ' 24–25, 30, באתר אוצר החכמה
; Letters
מכתבים בענין שיטת הגאון רבי אהרן קוטלר במכונות גילוח, הדרת פנים - חלק ב, עמ' שנב

דיונים בדין מכונות גילוח, עמ' סא
(נכתב ביום כ' סיון, תשס"ח)
לקט דברי הפוסקים בעניין עישון סיגריות
נדפס
חוברת אסיא קג-קד (כרך כ"ו, ג-ד), מרחשון תשע"ז
עמ' 150, מכתב הג"ר יחיאל פאר שליט"א ראש ישיבת דרך איתן ; Books in Hebrew
שושנת העמקים על מועדי השנה

רסיסי ליל שימורים על הגדה של פסח

יוסף ואחיו: שושנת העמקים

מסכת אבות עם ביאור שושנת העמקים

שושנת העמקים על רות ואסתר: מהדורה חדשה

שושנת העמקים על שמונה עשרה

מאמרי שושנת העמקים ימים הנוראים

מאמרי שושנת העמקים חג השבועות
; Books in English
Tzidkus Stands Forever: The Life and Lessons of Rabbi Menachem M. Perr zt"l">Tzidkus Stands Forever: The Life and Lessons of Rabbi Menachem M. Perr zt"l

Shoshanas Ha'amakim: Parsha Lessons, Life Lessons">Shoshanas Ha'amakim: Parsha Lessons, Life Lessons

Choosing Not To Choose based on the va'adim of Harav Yechiel Yitzchok Perr by David Jemal">Choosing Not To Choose based on the va'adim of Harav Yechiel Yitzchok Perr by David Jemal

* [https://www.israelbookshoppublications.com/store/pc/Mind-Over-Man-13p1152.htm Mind Over Man: The Climb To Greatness, Adapted from Harav Yechiel Yitzchok Perr's Va'adim on Sefer Madreigas Ha'adam]
Perr's Articles
in ''