Rabbinic Staff - Congregation Bnai Yeshurun (2024)

Rabbi - Rabbi Elliot Schrier
Rabbischrier@bnaiyeshurun.org

Rabbi Elliot Schrier joined Congregation Bnai Yeshurun in August of 2021.He previously served as the Rabbi of the Albert Einstein Synagogue, in the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and on the rabbinical staff of Congregation Beth Sholom, in Lawrence, NY.He also served as the Chair of the Talmud Department and Rosh Beit Medrash at the North Shore Hebrew Academy High School.

Rabbi Schrier is a graduate of Yeshiva University, where he studied History and Judaic Studies.While in YU, he studied extensively under Rav Michael Rosensweig.He received his Semikha from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary as part of the Bella and Harry Wexner Semikha Honors Program.

Rabbi Schrier and his wife, Rena, are the proud parents of Coby, Zecharia,Gavriel, and Avi.

Associate Rabbi - Rabbi Ari Zahtz
Rabbizahtz@bnaiyeshurun.org

Rabbi Ari Zahtz has served on the Rabbinic staff at Congregation Bnai Yeshurun since 2008.

Together with his wife, Michal, and their children, they have used their love and passion for Torah and the Jewish people to inspire many people around them.

Rabbi Zahtz firmly believes in trying to inspire all of us in our shul family to be better today than we were yesterday and that the purpose of our kehilla is to help each other do it together.

Outside of the shul Michal and Rabbi Zahtz co-founded i-Shine Teaneck in 2012 to help those dealing with serious illness in the family. Rabbi Zahtz is passionate about reaching those suffering from mental illness and working to remove its stigma and co-founded Project Ometz in 2017.

Rabbi Zahtz has become well known for his clarity in presenting complicated halachic concepts and his passion and sensitivity in helping people navigate the challenges of life.

Rabbi Zahtz also serves as a Rebbe at the Mazer Yeshiva Program at RIETS where he has focused his energies on training young men to gain a derech halimud, an approach that can be applied to all Talmudic learning. He is well known for the individual attention given to each talmid and devotion to help each student maximize his potential.

Rabbi Zahtz has lectured throughout the United States on a variety of topics including gemara, halacha, machshava, and mussar.

After attending Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh for two years, Rabbi Zahtz received a BA from Yeshiva College, with a major in psychology and subsequently both Yoreh Yoreh and Yadin Yadin semicha from RIETS where he was a member of the Katz Kollel, the Wexner Kollel Elyon and the Kollel l'hora'ah.

Rabbinic Staff - Rabbi Yehoshua Szafranski
Rabbiszafranski@bnaiyeshurun.org

Rabbi Yehoshua Szafranski has been a member of the Rabbinic Staff at Congregation Bnai Yeshurun since 2021, and along with his wife Rivka, has served as Co-Youth Director since 2019.

After studying for two years in Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh, Rabbi Szafranski was accepted to the YU/RIETS B.A.-Semikha Fellowship. In semikha, Rabbi Szafranski was selected to participate in the Memphis Torah Fellowship, where he taught, performed pastoral work, and ran programming in conjunction with the Baron Hirsch Congregation. Simultaneously, he worked with Names Not Numbers, where he coordinated and guided multiple high school leadership missions to Eastern Europe. Rabbi Szafranski has served as a JSU Director, LEAD Fellowship Director, and Staff Director for N.J. NCSY, spent time teaching at the Aish HaTorah World Center in Jerusalem, and was an 8th grade rebbe and a grade advisor at Yeshivat Noam in Paramus, where he also worked in their mental health office.

Currently, during the day, Rabbi Szafranski learns and grows with students at Rae Kushner High School, in his dual role of rebbe and social worker. Rabbi Szafranski received semikha from RIETS and earned his Masters in Social Work from Wurzweiler. Furthermore, he is a certified EMT and an American Red Cross BLS instructor, with over a decade of experience in emergency medicine. He lives in Teaneck with his better-half, Rivka, and their adorably-curious children: Moshe Dovid’l, Racheli, and Uzi.

Rabbi Emeritus - Rabbi Steven Pruzansky

Rabbi Pruzanskybecame the MaraD'atra of Bnai Yeshurun in August,1994.Previously, Rabbi Pruzansky was the spiritual leader of Congregation Etz Chaim in Kew Gardens Hills, New York for nine years. While in New York, he served a two-year term as President of the Vaad Harabonim (Rabbinical Board) of Queens.

Rabbi Pruzansky graduated from Columbia University in 1978 with a B.A. in history, and received a Juris Doctor degree from the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law in 1981. He practiced law for 13 years as a general practitioner and litigator in New York City until assuming the pulpit at Bnai Yeshurun. He is a member of the New York and Federal Bars, and is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. Rabbi Pruzansky studied in yeshivot in Israel and the United States, and was ordained at Yeshiva Bnei Torah of Far Rockaway, New York under the guidance of Rabbi Yisrael Chait, shlit”a.

In July 2020 Rabbi Pruzansky ended his tenure as Mara D'atra at Bnai Yeshurun after 26 years and assumed the title of Rabbi Emeritus. Rabbi Pruzanskyfulfilled his life-long dream of aliyah along with his wife Karen and now happily resides in Modiin, Israel.