Sulam Yaakov - Graduates

Some people know as children what the want to do when they grow up. And some people actually make it happen. Rabbi Joey Messinger is just such a person. As a child growing up in the Washington D.C. area, Rabbi Joey knew that he wanted to become a US Army Chaplain. After graduating from the Yeshiva High School of Greater Washington, he came to Israel and studied for two years in Yeshivat Derech Etz HaChaim. Back in the States, he earned a BA in “Poli Sci” and then returned in 2006 to Sulam Yaakov. In his mind, he was moving closer and closer toward his life’s goal and to his surprise, he discovered that one of his fellow students at Sulam Yaakov was a retired Army Chaplain, Rabbi Chaim Leinwand.

The two became fast friends and Rabbi Leinwand even became his Chavrutah (study partner). This spring, Joey Messinger successfully completed his studies for Rabbinic ordination (Semicha). And on Sunday, June 15, 2008, at Sulam Yaakov in downtown Jerusalem, Rabbi Messinger was officially commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the US Army Chaplaincy. The officiating US Army officer was none other than his Chavrutah, Rabbi Chaim Leonwand.

Rabbi Messinger will soon report to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, to begin his training as a Chaplain.

Rabbi Messinger comments that “there are a lot of bright minds in the yeshiva. Most of us have not learned Halacha (Jewish law) in depth, but we are now learning from a process perspective, seeing Halacha unfold before us. It is very challenging to unpack all of these ideas.”

Rabbi David Mason
Jerusalem community builder and Internet entrepreneur

How many of us can say, “I was there from the beginning.” David Mason can say that about Sulam Yaakov: He is a founding member of the Sulam Yaakov student body.

After graduating Colorado College, Rabbi Mason spent a year traveling around the world only to end up in Israel. He studied at Or Samay’ach in Jerusalem and at Yeshivat Shalom Rav in Tzefat. However, he admits that he was into the learning but not into observance. A planned three month stay turned into 15 months, during which time he finished studying all of Mishnah.

Back in the States, Rabbi Mason completed his law degree at New York University and then became a litigator for the Natural Resources Defense Council in Los Angeles, fighting for cleaner air and water.

More travel ended in New York City where he began an Internet business. His increased observance led him to move to Israel in September 2003. In February 2004, he married Chana and studied Torah in earnest. In December 2004, David made Aliyah and he and Chana celebrated the birth of their son, Aryeh Lev.

“Most Ba’alei Teshuvah Yeshivas miss the boat in terms of what the students are looking for,” says Rabbi Mason. “The fellows have the Jewish knowledge of children with the worldly sophistication of an adult. Even so, almost all the Ba’alei Teshuvah Yeshivas begin with Gemara, instead of filling in what was missed by their students.”

This understanding led Rabbi Mason to Rabbi Aaron Leibowitz, Rosh Beit Midrash of Sulam Yaakov. Together, they recruited students and Sulam Yaakov was launched in 2006. The initial core curriculum included the in-depth study of Nevi’im Rishonim (the Early Prophets), filling in many of the “blanks” for those who did not receive a Jewish education as children.

Rabbi Mason has already completed basic Rabbinic ordination (Isur VeHeter) and will continue with is Rabbinic studies next year at Sulam Yaakov.

He has also maintained his flourishing Internet business selling a variety of house décor items over the net and doing net business consultation. In fact, to date four of his fellow students at Sulam Yaakov have worked with him.

“I felt initially that we had to create a group that would build a community outside of Jerusalem. Now, we are concentrating on building the Nachala’ot community together. The Nachala’ot neighborhood is rapidly becoming a place to live long term and Sulam Yaakov is a key part in that picture. As Sulam Yaakov students, we live together in Nachala’ot and learn together thus helping to build our community.”

Rabbi Chaim Leinwald
Distinguished veteran of the US Army Chaplaincy and new Oleh

Distinguished is the word that first comes to mind after speaking with Rabbi Chaim Leinwald. Rabbi Leinwald recently retired as a Full Colonel from the US Army Chaplaincy after 30 years of service. He spent 14 years overseas in places such as Germany and South Korea. He was stationed in Iraq and in Saudi Arabia during the first Gulf War in 1991. While serving at West Point, he wrote the curriculum for modern spoken Hebrew that is still used at the “Point.” His three premier assignments were Director of Training at the US Army Chaplains School at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Command Chaplain for the US Army 5th Corp in Germany, and Command Chaplain for the US Army, Europe, which means that he had 50,000 soldiers, 100,000 families and 200 chaplains under his wing, so to speak. “A pretty good size congregation,” says Rabbi Leinwald with a big smile. “Of course, they weren’t all Jewish!”

Rabbi Leinwald spent 1973-74 in Israel where he met and married a local girl from the famous Rabbinic Barashi family. They have three adult children. They made Aliyah in 2006 and for the last year and a half he has been studying at Sulam Yaakov. Even though he received Rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College many years ago, Rabbi Leinwald decided to do it again. “The Semicha exam was the toughest exam I ever took. I mean it was really tough!” Nevertheless, Rabbi Leinwald comments that “learning at Sulam Yaakov is really a pleasure. Rabbi Aaron’s approach is refreshing and meaningful.”

Rabbi Mike Feuer
A life-long Zionist builds a family and a life as a Rabbi in Israel

Rabbi Mike Feuer’s love for the land of Israel began when he was a teenager. As an active member of USY he came to Israel on the USY high school program in Israel. Later, as a student at Colorado College, he studied at the Ben Gurion University in Beersheva for a semester. He even started a graduate program at Ben Gurion, but ended up at Brandeis University. Nevertheless, he came to Israel seven years ago to complete his Master’s thesis and finally made Israel his home.

A year later, Rabbi Feuer was married and together with his wife Karen have three young girls, ages four and a half to five months. The family lives in Maaleh Adumin, outside of Jerusalem. Karen is the Assistant to the Dean of the Pardes Institute.

Rabbi Feuer was a founding member of Sulam Yaakov’s student body. He recently received his Rabbinic ordination. Aside from his studies at Sulam Yaakov, he teaches in a number of one-year programs for post high school students from overseas. He teaches Jewish studies and Zionist history. Rabbi Feuer notes that his previous experience with teenagers at risk has served him well in reaching out to overseas students.

According to Rabbi Feuer, “Sulam Yaakov is a place for whoever wants to build themselves, the community and Am Yisra’el. Study here involves commitment and demands a lot of energy!”