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Messages from President Ari Berman

Email Communications

Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman | President and Rosh Yeshiva | and Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS)

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Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman is the fifth president of . Since his investiture in 2017, Dr. Berman has grounded in its Core Torah Values and laid the foundation for its next great era. Under his visionary leadership, the university has grown dramatically, introducing over 20 new graduate degrees in emerging fields such as cybersecurity, health, and STEM, and has established new academic centers such as the Emil A. and Jenny Fish Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the Rabbi Jonathan Sacks-Herenstein Center for Values and Leadership. These efforts have produced significant increases in enrollment, academic rankings, as well as in philanthropic gifts including funding for the Shevet Glaubach Center for Career Strategy and Professional Development, and the new Belz building, the cornerstone academic center on the Wilf campus.

Dr. Berman is an active and erudite spokesman for the Jewish community. He lectures worldwide, writes extensively on contemporary Jewish thought, modern philosophy, and trends in higher education. Dr. Berman is widely published in outlets such as Forbes, Newsweek, and the Wall Street Journal, and recently published The Final Exam: Letters to Our Students. He is married to Anita Berman and they have five children.

September 2023 - November 2023

Ari Berman header image

My Dear Friends,

We are living through difficult times. We are mourning for each of the precious souls whose lives were so brutally cut short; we are praying for our brothers and sisters who are sitting in captivity; and we are sending our sons and daughters to active duty to defend our future.

I have never previously sent my son off to war but like all of his friends in combat units, this past Shabbat he was called up to service.

At this time, we are all called to serve, each in our own way.

Knowing the character of our student body, I am sure they will be spearheading efforts over the next number of days to support and strengthen our people and homeland. In addition, a number of our students are former soldiers who are returning to Israel to active army duty, and we currently have over a thousand students who are studying in our partner seminaries and yeshivot as well as in our RIETS kollel on the Gruss campus. To all of our students, thousands of alumni and their families, and the entire nation of Israel, I add my prayers filled with tears and a steadfast belief in our ultimate success.

 or on the image above to view a video.

May Hashem protect us, provide us with the strength to persevere and triumph, and bless our people and our times with peace.

My warmest wishes, 

President Signature

Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman

President,

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