Rabbi Shmuel Goldin
Rabbi Shmuel Goldin, Congregation Ahavath Torah , Englewood, NJ
May 19, 2011
Rabbi Shmuel Goldin has served as spiritual leader of Congregation Ahavath Torah in Englewood, New Jersey, since 1984. With a membership of over 700 families, Ahavath Torah is the largest orthodox synagogue in Northern New Jersey.
He is an instructor of Bible and Talmud at the Isaac Breuer College and the Mechina Program of Yeshiva University; the founding director of and lecturer at The Eve Flechner Torah Institute-an institute of Torah study located in the Bergen County community; and has served on the faculty of numerous other institutes. Rabbi Goldin is past President of Rabbinic Alumni of Yeshiva University, past President of the Rabbinical Council of Bergen County and former Chairman of its Kashruth Committee. He is a member of other various prominent Jewish organizations and was the founding chairman of Shvil Hazahav.
Rabbi Goldin has received numerous awards including, Bnei Akiva- Rabbinic Leadership Award (1997); ECHO; Yeshiva University-Rabbinic Alumni Award (1991); Sinai Learning Disabilities Program of Bergen County (1987); Orthodox Union-Rabbinic Leadership Award (1986); NCSY; Yachad; Hebrew Free Burial Society; Shvut Ami, Shaare Zedek Hospital, Yeshivat Shaalvim and many others. He was selected as "1994 Newsmaker of the Year" by The Jewish Standard, a weekly publication of Bergen and Hudson Counties in New Jersey, and has been repeatedly featured in their list of newsmakers in subseqent years. A number of years ago, he was also featured as a young leader to watch in the Jewish Week's "40 under 40".
An articulate spokesmen for Orthodoxy, Rabbi Goldin has developed an innovative educational approach to Torah study, Jewish law and Jewish identity which is enthusiastically received by traditional and non-traditional Jews alike. In April 2000, Rabbi Goldin delivered a ground-breaking lecture at The Jewish Theological Seminary of America concerning interdenominational relations titled “Why Can’t We All Just Get Along: An Orthodox Rabbi’s View on Pluralism”. He has lectured extensively throughout the world in a wide variety of synagogue and communal settings. He regularly leads congregational missions to Israel, particularly during critical times. Under his guidance, Congregation Ahavath Torah was the first American synagogue to visit Israel during the Iraqi scud attacks. In August 2002 Rabbi Goldin created the first international “Rally in Israel” which brought a group of over 250 people to Israel to march for solidarity with Israeli citizens. Rally in Israel II took place in November 2002 and brought three times the number of participants.
Rabbi Goldin has authored several articles on the peace process, Israel-Diaspora relations, interdenominational dialogue, and other current issues which have appeared in prominent publications in America and abroad.
Rabbi Goldin's three volumes of studies on the weekly parsha, "Unlocking the Torah Text, Bereishit, Shemot and Vayikra" (Gefen Publishing Company, Jerusalem) have received wide acclaim from readers across the Jewish and general communities. He is currently at work on the fourth volume of the series which will cover the book of Bamidbar.
Rabbi Goldin served as the first vice president of the Rabbinical Council of America for two years before becoming president of the RCA earlier this year.
Rabbi Goldin and his wife, Barbara (nee Leifer), are the proud parents of Avi and his wife Rena, Rabbi Yossi and his wife Shifra, Yehuda and his wife Noa, Donny and his wife Tamara, and Rivka. They are also proud grandparents of Isaac, Ben, Temima, Jacob, Chaim, and Rachel.
