Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner
Yeshiva University's Torah miTzion Beit Midrash Zichron Dov, Toronto, Canada
Mar 17, 2014
Rabbi Torczyner has served as the founding Rosh Kollel of Toronto’s Yeshiva University Torah miTzion Beit Midrash Zichron Dov since Elul 2009. The kollel trains its avreichim toward pulpit, classroom and communal leadership, and also serves as a community Torah resource for the Greater Toronto Area and beyond.
Prior to moving to Toronto, Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner served as the rabbi of Congregation Sons of Israel in Allentown, Pennsylvania, from 2001 through 2009. The Synagogue has a membership of approximately 230 families. He also played a major communal role, sitting on boards and committees for the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, the Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley, the Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley and the Hebrew Family League. He served as rabbinic authority for the Lehigh Valley Kashrut Commission, Allentown Eruv, Allentown Mikvah and Allentown Chevra Kadisha, and provided services for local hospitals, Lehigh Valley Hospice, the Lehigh County Prison, Kidspeace and several local Hillels. Rabbi Torczyner also published frequent columns in the Allentown Morning Call.
Prior to this, Rabbi Torczyner served for four years as the rabbi of Congregation Ohawe Sholam – Young Israel of Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
Rabbi Torczyner spent three years mentoring new rabbis in an initiative for Yeshiva University's Center for the Jewish Future.
Rabbi Torczyner grew up on Long Island, NY. After high school, he spent two years at Yeshivat Kerem beYavneh in Israel. Upon returning to America, he studied at Yeshiva University where he completed a BA in computer science and received semicha from its Rabbi Elchanan Theological Seminary. While studying for ordination, he also studied toward a Masters in Computer Science at New York University's Courant Institute.
Rabbi Torczyner has been a member of the RCA since 1997. He has served on the RCA’s Executive Committee, its JPEG committee to create standards for ethical conduct in industry, and its Joint Kashrus Committee working with the OU. He has chaired the RCA’s Resolutions Committee, its Technology Committee, and serves in other capacities, as well.
Rabbi Torczyner's efforts to spread Torah go beyond his immediate community. He maintains two websites which are designed to spread Torah to anyone interested in increasing their Jewish awareness. One site, WebShas, provides a topical index to the Talmud. The other site, HaMakor, provides bibliographic references to classic Judaic texts, on a range of popular topics. Rabbi Torczyner also sends out two daily educational emails, one containing a Torah Thought and the other a Jewish law. To subscribe to either of these free emails, please email Rabbi Torczyner. Rabbi Torczyner also blogs at The Rebbetzin’s Husband.
Rabbi Torczyner is married to Caren (Gottlieb), a patent attorney. Caren is a graduate of Michlala Yerushalayim leBanot, Yeshiva University's Stern College for Women and Harvard Law School. Together they are blessed with four children: Amram, Meira, Rena and Aharon.
