Administration

Rabbi Reuven Brand, Rosh Kollel

Rabbi Reuven Brand is the Rosh Kollel of the Yeshiva University Torah Mitzion Kollel of Chicago. Rabbi Brand was a member of the Bella and Harry Wexner Kollel Elyon at Yeshiva University, where he received his ordination from its affiliate, Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. Rabbi Brand has served as Rabbinic Assistant at Congregation Shomrei Torah in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. He holds a Master's degree in Jewish Education from the Azrieli Graduate School of Education and Administration and a B.A. in history from Yeshiva College. He also studied at Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh in Israel. He has published several articles on Talmudic topics and edited three different volumes of Jewish scholarship. Rabbi Brand is a founder of Lman Achai, a student organization dedicated to the needs of Jews in Israel, including feeding the hungry and supporting victims of terror. He has served as Scholar-in-Residence and directed educational programs in communities across the United States, in Europe and Australia. He and his wife, Nechama, and their three sons, Chaim, Ilan and Aryeh Mordechai, live in Skokie.

Email: rbrand@chicagotorah.org

Sam Medow, Executive Director

Sam Medow joins the Kollel as Executive Director after serving as Program Director for Chai Lifeline Midwest. He received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Iowa and spent time studying at both Tel Aviv University and Yeshivat Darche Noam in Jerusalem. Sam also holds an MBA from Roosevelt University and resides in West Rogers Park with his wife Shuli and their son Levi.

Email: smedow@chicagotorah.org

Kollel Fellows

Rabbi Dovi Bergman grew up in Elizabeth, NJ. After high school he spent two years studying in Yeshivat Hesder Shaalvim. Upon returning to the U.S. he spent six years studying in Yeshiva University, receiving a Bachelors degree in psychology from Yeshiva College, and continuing onto the semicha program at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, and the M.S. program at the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education. Rabbi Bergman and his wife Gigi currently live in West Rogers Park with their son Elisha.

Email: dbergman@chicagotorah.org

Rabbi Etan Ehrenfeld grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey. After high school he spent a year and a half in Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh and upon his return to the U.S. he attended Yeshiva University where he completed his Bachelors degree in Mathematics, a Masters in Jewish Education and received smicha from Rabbi Isaac Elchonon Theological Seminary smicha program. Rabbi Ehrenfeld and his wife, Tamar, and their son, Netanel, currently live in Skokie.

Email: eehrenfeld@chicagotorah.org

Rabbi Yoni Gold originally from Miami Beach, spent two years studying in Yeshivat Shaalvim. After receiving his B.A. in Psychology from Yeshiva University he joined the smicha program of the Rabbi Isaac Elchonon Theological Seminary while completing his Master's degree in Jewish Education from Azrieli Graduate School. He and his wife, Alise, live in West Rogers Park with their daughter Ayelet Chana.

Email: ygold@chicagotorah.org

Rabbi Yakov Ochana grew up in Haifa and learned in Yeshivat Chevron, Jerusalem. He learned for six years at Yeshivat Hesder Har Etzion in Gush Etzion and served as a Sergeant in the Israeli army. He holds a B.A. in Economics from Bar-Ilan University and LL.B (J.D equivalent) and CPA from Ono Academic College. In Israel, Rabbi Ochana lived in Modi'in and worked as a lawyer. Today he lives in Skokie with his wife, Orli, and their daughter, Renana.

Email: yochana@chicagotorah.org

Rabbi Ephraim Rimel was born in Chicago and made Aliya with his family in 1989 to Neve Tzuf, a Yishuv 20 minutes east of Modin. After studying at Netiv Meir high school in Yerushalayim, he attended Yeshivat Har Etzion in Gush Etzion for Hesder. Rabbi Rimel also received a BA in management from Bar Ilan University and served as a Sergeant in the Israeli army. He currently lives in West Rogers Park with his wife Tzippi and their children Etai and Leah.

Email: erimel@chicagotorah.org

Rabbi Menachem Rosenbaum grew up in Riverdale, NY. After attending MTA for high school he spent two years learning in Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh. In addition to studying philosophy in Yeshiva University, he spent three years as a member of the Masmidim Honors Program. He has served as an Intern Rabbi for Congregation Or Torah in Skokie and currently lives with his wife, Aliza, and their son, Ezra, in West Rogers Park.

Email: mrosenbaum@chicagotorah.org

Rabbi Ya'akov Trump grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa. After graduating high school, he spent several years in Yeshivat Kerem BeYavneh in Israel followed by Ner Yisroel, Baltimore. He holds a BA in Mathematics from Yeshiva University and has taken multiple Actuary exams. While completing Semicha at RIETS, Rabbi Trump served as Rabbinic Intern in Kesher Israel DC, Young Israel of Jamaica Estates and the Beth Din of America. He and his wife, Malka, and their son, Moshe Azaria, live in West Rogers Park.

Email: ytrump@chicagotorah.org