Rabbi Dr. David Mescheloff

Rabbi Dr. David Mescheloff was ordained in 1968 by Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik זצ"ל. After earning his Ph.D. in mathematics at Northwestern University he moved to Israel in 1973, and lectured in mathematics for ten years at Tel Aviv University.  He subsequently earned a second Ph.D, in Talmud, and lectured at Bar-Ilan University for fourteen years.  He was certified as a community rabbi by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel both under Rabbi Avraham Kahana Shapira זצ"ל and by Rabbi Israel Meir Lau שליט"א.  He served as rabbi of Kibbutz Be'erot Yitzhak for seven years, and as a community rabbi in Kiryat Ono for three years.  He also served as high school rabbi and as coordinator of high school rabbis in the Tel Aviv area, for the Israeli Ministry of Education.

Both as rabbi and as a private citizen, Rabbi Mescheloff was active for many years in the areas of kashruth , Jewish civil law, and Jewish marital law, both in theoretical, educational and practical aspects of these issues.  Rabbi Mescheloff writes, translates and edits articles and books in a variety of areas, and has published numerous articles in the areas of Jewish law, Jewish thought and education.  He has taught and continues to teach courses and special lectures in a wide variety of settings, in various topics of Jewish law and Jewish thought, with an emphasis on Jewish life in contemporary Israel.  Among many others, he has taught women's Talmud classes, both in the kibbutz and in Israeli high schools.  In 2008 and 2009 he taught in an experimental program of videoconference instruction, teaching in Jewish schools in Chicago and New England from the Lookstein Center for Jewish Education at Bar-Ilan University.

A unique premarital contract he authored (published in Tehumin vol. 21, and, in English, in Tradition 43:3, 2010) was approved by several major halakhic authorities, and has been in use for several decades.  He also performs weddings and implements a unique program in Israel for preparing couples for marriage.

He has published a supplement to the Haggadah for Jews living in Israel, a booklet of readings for a festive Yom HaAtzmaut meal, a driver's prayer, readings for celebrating the dedication of a new home, and readings for a festive meal of thanks for G-d's salvation. Thousands of these have been distributed and used in Israel. He lectures in yeshivot and midrashot and other public forums, and translates and edits papers and books in various areas of Jewish studies.  He continues to counsel individuals on personal and halakhic matters, and is an active member of the Rabbinical Council of America, serving on its Siddur editing committee and on a committee of its internet Forum.

Rabbi Mescheloff lives in Moshav Hemed with his wife, Irene, who practices psychotherapy in clinics in B'nei Brak and in Moshav Hemed. They have five married children, all living in Israel, and, as of the beginning of 2011, 25 grandchildren - may they all be well!

Update 01/11/2011