About Us: Meet the Kollel Men

Rav Baruch Yehuda Gradon Rosh HakollelBritish born, Rabbi Gradon's advanced Rabbinic and Talmudic instruction first began at the Gateshead Yeshiva in England and then progressed at the renowned Beth Medrash Govoha of Lakewood New Jersey. Rabbi Gradon has served the LA community with distinction for close to three decades, including twenty-five years in his capacity as Menahel Ruchani of the Lakewood Kollel in Hancock Park. Under Rabbi Gradon's tenure, the Kollel developed a broad infrastructure of community oriented lectures, learning programs and outreach activities, which transformed the lives of countless families from across the entire Jewish spectrum in the surrounding communities of greater Los Angeles. His wife, Mrs. Esther Gradon is a daughter of Rabbi Uri Hellman z"l, the well-known Menahel of Bais Yaakov Teachers Seminary in Brooklyn, for over sixty years. Mrs. Gradon maintains the family legacy of devotion to Jewish education as a highly acclaimed Pre-1A teacher at Yeshiva Toras Emes.	Rav Doniel Danishefsky Rosh HachaburahRabbi Danishevsky's in-depth Talmudic training began at Yeshiva Torah Temimah in Brooklyn, after which he studied at the prestigious Brisk Yeshiva in Yerushalayim. He then continued his studies at Beth Medrash Govoha, where he first settled with his wife Sima (nee Lansky) of Baltimore Maryland. The Danishevskys relocated to Los Angeles in 1995, when Rabbi Danishevsky joined the Kollel in Hancock Park. At the Kollel, Rabbi Danishevsky made great strides in his Torah erudition as an accomplished Talmid Chacham. It is also where he developed his pedagogic mentoring skills, which proved to be a great draw for the avreichim joining Merkaz Hatorah. Mrs. Danishevsky currently serves as a Jewish history teacher at the local Bais Yaakov School.
Rabbi Yisroel Gordon Director of Programming & Outreach R' Yisroel attended Yeshiva Sha'ar Hatorah in Queens for high school and post high school studies. After graduating from Sha'ar Hatorah, he continued his learning at the famed Mir Yeshiva in Yerushalayim. Rabbi Gordon served as Director of the Jewish Study Network in Palo Alto from 2001 thru 2008. Along with his wife Sandy (nee Hertz), the Gordons activism and leadership in outreach and chessed initiatives serve as an invaluable asset to the community.	Rabbi Aryeh Adler Moreh Hora'ah Rabbi Adler and his wife Bina (nee Schapiro) are both native Los Angeleans with strong roots in the community. R' Ari attended local Beverly Hills Yeshivas before proceeding to the Ner Yisroel yeshiva in Baltimore MD. He later studied at Yeshiva Gedolah of Passaic in North Jersey and in the Brisk Yeshiva under Rabbi Dovid Soloveitchik of Yerushalayim. Rabbi Adler then joined the Kollel at Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood where he received his semicha ordination and practical rabbinic training. Ari is the son of Dr. Robert and Mrs. Agi Adler, and a grandson of Mrs. Lilly Adler and Mr. Simcha Farkash, both stalwart members of Beth Jacob. Binah is the daughter of Rabbi Alter and Mrs. Shira Shapiro.
Rabbi Yoir Apter Scholar A native of London, R' Yoir attended the renowned Gateshead Yeshiva for his formative high school years, after which he continued his studies on American shores, at Yeshiva Gedolah of South Fallsburg in upstate New York. Rabbi Apter later learned at Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, where he first settled with his wife Peninah (nee Jakobovits) in the thriving Kollel community there. Mrs. Apter is a granddaughter of the Lord, Rabbi Immanuel Jakobovitz, Chief Rabbi of the British Commonwealth.	Rabbi Yitzchok Davis Scholar Originally from Passaic, New Jersey, R' Yitzchok first attended the Bais Shraga High School in Monsey New York, and then graduated from the Telshe Yeshiva in Cleveland. He subsequently joined the prestigious Brisk Yeshiva in Yerushalayim, where he studied under its venerable Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Dovid Soloveitchik. Returning to the States, Rabbi Davis continued his studies at Beth Medrash Govoha, where he joined the Kollel after his marriage to Miriam (nee Stefansky) of Toronto, Canada. Mrs. Davis is known for the popular childcare program she currently heads in the community.
Rabbi Avraham Yechiel Hirschman Scholar A Toronto native, R' Avraham began his advanced Jewish studies at the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia, after which he attended Yerushalayim's Brisk Yeshiva. He subsequently attended Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, where he first settled with his wife Chaya Gitty (nee Schapiro) for their formative Kollel years. Mrs. Hirschman, born and bred in Lakewood, serves on the faculty of the Resource Room at Yeshiva Toras Emes - Boys Division.	Rabbi Nechemya Shlomo Klugman Scholar Raised in Toronto, R' Nechemya attended the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia, after which he studied under Rabbi Dovid Soloveitchik at the Brisk Yeshiva in Yerushalayim. He subsequently attended Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, where he first settled with his wife Yehudis (nee Miller) of Cleveland and joined the Kollel at BMG. Yehudis is an outstanding fifth grade teacher at Bais Tzivia.
Rabbi Yosef Modes Scholar Born in Columbus Ohio, R' Yosef's yeshiva career began at Beth Medrash LeTorah in Skokie, from where he moved on to the Telshe Yeshiva in Cleveland and then to Rabbi Sorotzkin's Yeshiva in Springfield New Jersey. Rabbi Modes continued his studies at Yerushalayim's Mir Yeshiva and Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, where he married Dena (nee Freedman), a teacher at Ohr Eliyahu. Dena is currently pursuing her higher education.	Rabbi Dov Menachem Saltz Scholar R' Dov was born and raised in the Brooklyn's Flatbush community, where he attended the local Yeshiva Torah Temimah. He later furthered his studies at the Brisk Yeshiva in Yerushalayim. R" Dov is married to Estie daughter of Rabbi and Mrs. Shlomo and Bella Gottesman. After their marriage, the Saltzes first settled in Israel, where R' Dov joined the renowned Kollel network of Rabbi Yaakov Hillel. Estie currently oversees the extra-curricular program at the Ohr Ha'emet school.
Rabbi Binyamin Septon Scholar A Torontonian, R' Binyamin attended the Yeshiva Gedolah of Passaic, studying under its Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Meir Stern. Thereafter, Rabbi Septon continued his studies at Rabbi Dovid Soloveitchik's Brisk Yeshiva in Yerushalayim. Rabbi Septon is married to Shaindy (nee Weinman) of Brooklyn, who shares his passion for Torah education and is currently on the Resource Room faculty at Yeshiva Toras Emes – Girls Division.	Rabbi Chaim Sturman Scholar Originally of Philadelphia, R' Chaim attended his hometown's famed yeshiva, the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia, where his late father zt"l, served as a senior Maggid Shiur. He later studied at the Brisk Yeshiva of Rabbi Dovid Soloveitchik in Yerushalayim, before moving on to Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, where he settled with his wife Estee (nee Schwab) of Monsey NY. Estee holds a senior position at an area accounting firm.
Akiva Westreich Scholar Rabbi Westreich was born and raised in Los Angeles from where attended the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia. He later learned under Rabbi Dovid Soloveitchik at the Brisk Yeshiva in Yerushalayim and at Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood. After getting married to his wife Dina (nee Weiss), the Westreichs lived for a while in Sydney Australia, where R' Akiva was a member of the Kollel. Dina is today a licensed speech therapist in private practice.	Eliyahu Tzvi Younger Scholar R' Eliyahu Tzvi is a native of Los Angeles, the son of our own Mordechai and Tova Younger. With a set of grandparents who were both proud Beth Jacob members, Rabbi Younger's roots in the community run deep. As a teenager, Eliyahu made off for the East Coast where he studied at the Long Beach and Passaic Yeshivas. Later he joined the prominent Brisker Kollel in Yerushalayim, where he mastered the art of Talmudic analysis. While in Israel, R' Eliyahu married Tzirel (nee Samet) who joined him on his return to his hometown of LA. Tzirel is presently employed in the private sector.