Harav Ya’akov Zvi Horvitz Shlita
Our beloved rabbi is Rabbi Ya'akov Zvi Horvitz of Israel.
His life's dream is to create a welcoming community for people of all religious and secular backgrounds, from all over the world. With the start of a major renovation project in Heichal Hatalmud, he feels his dream is on the way to fruition.
History
He obtained smicha from two city rabbis serving in Israel.
He was born into a prestigious family of rabbis (and he is a descendant of the Sh’la Hakodesh). His father and grandfather were respected and well-known Talmidei Chachamim in Petah Tikva and in Bnei Brak, where Rabbi Zvi grew up. His father was the rabbi of a prestigious community in Bnei Brak and his grandfather had a chavrusah with Maran Hasteipler. He was also the chief rabbi in the Israeli Navy.
His grandfather on his mother's side was also a well-known talmid chacham, who studied and gave lessons for over 20 years at the Heichal Hatalmud in Neve Tzedek.
His wife Rivi is also a member of a family of distinguished rabbis and is the daughter of Rabbi Alikum Dvoraks who authored over 60 books on Jewish Halacha. She grew up in Jerusalem and currently works as an accountant and senior manager in the management of the International Bank.
They have 3 children – a son Sefi, and twin girls Hadas and Ayelet.
Rabbi Tzvi studied in the Israeli yeshiva Ateret Israel and in Mir. He went to the USA to continue his studies at Yeshiva Chaim Berlin in New York where he stayed for 3 years and was very close to the Rosh Hayeshiva Rabbi Aharon Schechter with whom he also had a long chavrusah.
The fire of love for Israel and the Jewish people, was always burning in him, and he felt that his role was to be a bridge that connects worlds and people, and to inspire the love of Avinu Shebashamayim with the Nation of Israel.
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To start to fulfil this goal he set up a telephone campaign in the USA in cooperation with several organizations, to create learning on Jewish practice over the phone ; to give them religious information that is accessible in several languages. He built this successfully and eventually regularly made over 1000 telephone connections on a weekly basis.
On his return to Israel he married Riva, and began to give many lectures in all areas of Jewish life, on a variety of topics, (often in combination with music) and to extensively spread the Torah of Israel to many different groups. For 12 years he also served as a rabbi who gave lessons and lectures to the prison services and the Israel Police
He also provides multiple lectures for Israeli and International companies and employee committees.
As well as being the creator and driving force of the Chaslat synagogue and community, Rabbi Tzvi demonstrates his deep motivation to help people from different backgrounds in all his activities, not only in the Torah field. He is a certified marital and family counselor and therapist, he is recognized by the courts as a professional mediator, and is a life coach, licensed by the Life Coaches Association.
For the wider community, his main goal was always to create something special; something different, something out of the ordinary, where everyone who entered the synagogue would immediately feel that they had come home, and he felt that the ideal place for this would be in Tel Aviv. His family was close to Rabbi Kanievsky zt'zl and after detailed discussions, Rabbi Kanievsky gave his enthusiastic blessing for Rabbi Zvi and the family, and sent him on a special mission from Bnei Brak to come and live in Tel Aviv.
Initially, he established a minyan in a small synagogue in the neighborhood, but it had to be closed during the corona epidemic. With the easing of the covid restrictions, he established a new minyan in the garden park on Pines Street, where dozens of Jews came on Shabbatot and Chagim for prayers in a joyous atmosphere of singing and dancing. It eventually moved to the Ulpana building in Lilienblum, where he currently holds regular prayers on Friday night and Shabbat.
A short time ago he obtained permission to use the building Heichal Hatalmud (the kollel where his grandfather studied and taught for so many years, but which was closed public use for over 30 years). He currently runs a daily weekday minyan there for Shacharit , and Shabbat mincha .
His life's dream is to create a welcoming community for people of all religious and secular backgrounds, from all over the world. With the start of a major renovation project in Heichal Hatalmud, he feels his dream is on the way to fruition.
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Contact Rabbi Zvi Horvitz
ravhorvitz@gmail.com
Tel: +972 52-790-7056