Yosef Blau
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Yosef Blau is an American Orthodox
rabbi A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...
. He is the
mashgiach ruchani A mashgiach ruchani (; pl., ''mashgichim ruchani'im''), sometimes mashgiach for short, is a spiritual supervisor or guide. They are usually a rabbi who has an official position within a yeshiva and is responsible for the non-academic areas of yesh ...
at
Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS ) is the rabbinical seminary of Yeshiva University (YU). It is located along Amsterdam Avenue in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. Named after Yitzchak Elchanan S ...
since 1977. He is also the former president of the Religious Zionists of America.


Education

Blau earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1959 from Yeshiva College studying
Mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...
. He earned a Masters of Science degree at
Yeshiva University Yeshiva University is a Private university, private Modern Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Jewish university with four campuses in New York City.
's Belfer Graduate School of Science in 1960, and was ordained at
Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS ) is the rabbinical seminary of Yeshiva University (YU). It is located along Amsterdam Avenue in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. Named after Yitzchak Elchanan S ...
in 1961 by Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik.


Career

In the past, he served as the assistant principal at the Maimonides School in
Brookline, Massachusetts Brookline () is an affluent town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, and part of the Greater Boston, Boston metropolitan area. An exclave of Norfolk County, Brookline borders six of Boston's neighborhoods: Brighton, Boston, Brighton ...
, principal at the Hebrew Theological College in
Skokie, Illinois Skokie (; formerly Niles Center) is a Village (United States), village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 67,824. Skokie lies approximately north of Chicago's dow ...
, and principal at the Jewish Educational Center in
Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth is a City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.National Religious Jewish Students Association, and as a member of that organization's National Advisory Board. He also served as vice president of the National Conference of Yeshiva Principals. Blau is a member of the
Rabbinical Council of America The Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) is one of the world's largest organizations of Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox rabbis; it is affiliated with The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, more commonly known as the Orthodox Union (OU). ...
and serves on the executive board of the Orthodox Caucus, a national task force addressing practical issues challenging the
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
world. He is also on the executive commission of the Orthodox Forum and the rabbinic advisory board of USSR, (Students Serving Soviet Jewry). He has lectured and taught
Torah The Torah ( , "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Torah is also known as the Pentateuch () ...
around the world. Blau previously served on the executive board of directors of The Awareness Center. On December 22, 2009 he was the moderator on a panel in Yeshiva University dealing with homosexual men in the Orthodox Jewish community. Blau serves as one of the board of directors for Jewish Community Watch, an organization focusing on child abuse awareness and prevention within the Orthodox community.


Personal

Rabbi Blau married Rivkah Teitz, daughter of Rabbi Mordechai Pinchas Teitz, in June 1962. They live in Washington Heights and have three sons: Binyamin, Yitzchak and Yaakov.


References


External links


Official Yeshiva University bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blau, Yosef Living people Yeshiva University alumni Mashgiach ruchani American Modern Orthodox rabbis Orthodox rabbis from New York City Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary semikhah recipients Sexual abuse victim advocates Religious Zionist Orthodox rabbis Yeshiva University faculty Year of birth missing (living people) 20th-century American rabbis 21st-century American rabbis