Rabbi Moshe Kletenik
Vaad HaRabanim of Greater Seattle, Seattle, Washington
Mar 14, 2014
Rabbi Moshe Kletenik is Av Beit Din of the Vaad HaRabanim of Greater Seattle, where he is involved in overseeing kashruth and serves as Rosh Beit Din and Mesader Gittin for its Beit Din for Gittin. He is a member of the boards of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, the Holocaust Emergency Assistance Committee at Seattle's Jewish Family Services, Seattle Hebrew Academy and Northwest Yeshiva High School.
Building on many years of participation in the Rabbinical Council of America, Rabbi Kletenik was elected to be its president at its 50th annual convention in May, 2009. Previously, he served as the chair of the RCA's Semicha Standards Committee, as its recording secretary, and twice as one of its vice-presidents. He presently serves as the Rosh Beit Din and Menahel of the RCA's Pacific Northwest Regional Beit Din, part of its network of "GPS" rabbinical courts for conversion.
In the broader community, he served as a member of the Governor of the State of Washington's Faith Advisory Board. In 2008, he received the "Take Action Award" from the King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
A prolific writer and speaker on both contemporary and classic themes in Jewish law, he has contributed scholarly articles on topics of Talmudic law to Torah journals, including Hapardes and to the RCA's Hadarom and Tradition, as well as to the RCA's annual collections of its finest sermons. He lectures widely on matters pertaining to Jewish medical ethics, particularly regarding end-of-life and beginning-of-life issues.
Rabbi Kletenik served as rabbi of Bikur Cholim Machzikay Hadath Congregation in Seattle, Washington from 1994-2014. Prior to his arrival in Seattle, he served as menahel of the Mesivta of Greater Miami, FL; and, as principal of Hillel Academy and rabbi of Shaare Torah Congregation, both in Pittsburgh, PA. There, he served as the Executive Officer of the Rabbinical Council of Greater Pittsburgh; Chairman of its Kashrus and Halachic Commissions; and cofounder of its eruv.
In 1976, Rabbi Kletenik was ordained by Rabbi Aharon Soloveichik at Brisk Rabbinical College in Chicago, IL. Rav Gedalia Schwartz, the RCA's Av Beit Din, granted him semicha in the areas of Siddur gittin and Even Ha'ezer in 2004 and in 2009, granted him Yadin Yadin ordination, as well. His undergraduate degree from Roosevelt University in Chicago is in mathematics. He is married to the former Rivy Poupko, Head of School of Seattle Hebrew Academy. They are blessed with four children and six grandchildren.
